Reactive distillation process and plant for obtaining acetic acid and alcohol from the hydrolysis of methyl acetate

1. A method for obtaining acetic acid and methanol from the hydrolysis of methyl acetate by reactive distillation in a reactive distillation column having a pre-reactor, the reactive distillation column being configured as a divided wall reactive distillation column including a column head, a column body, a first reflux conduit, a second reflux conduit, and a column sump with the column body being arranged between the column head and the column sump, the column further comprising a wall arranged in parallel to the longitudinal axis of the column, said wall dividing the column into a reactive space and a product space, wherein the reactive space comprises at least a first rectification zone and a first reaction zone, with a hydrolysis catalyst provided in the first reaction zone, and the first rectification zone is arranged between the column head and the first reaction zone, the column further comprising a first stripping zone, with the first stripping zone being arranged between the column sump and the first reaction zone, wherein the product space comprises at least a second rectification zone and a second stripping zone, wherein the second stripping zone shares at least a portion of the column sump with the first stripping zone, the method comprising: providing a pre-reactor feed containing methyl acetate to a pre-reactor, discharging a first feed containing water and methyl acetate from the pre-reactor to the reactive distillation column, providing the first feed containing water and methyl acetate to the reactive space, bringing the feed into contact with the hydrolysis catalyst, at least partially hydrolysing the feed to acetic acid and methanol, discharging a first head product from a reactive space head portion, recycling a portion of the first head product via the first reflux conduit to the reactive space, discharging a bottom product from the column sump, discharging a second head product from a product space head portion, recycling a portion of the second head product via the second reflux conduit to the product space, and discharging an intermediate product from the product space.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the pre-reactor feed containing methyl acetate is fed to the pre-reactor, the methyl acetate is brought into contact with a hydrolysis catalyst in the presence of water, by which the methyl acetate is partially cleaved into acetic acid and methanol and a pre-reactor product containing methyl acetate, acetic acid, and methanol is discharged from the pre-reactor and is fed as the first feed into the reactive distillation column.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the first feed containing at least 50 wt % water and a second feed containing at least 15 wt % methyl acetate to enter the reactive space and bringing the first feed into contact with the hydrolysis catalyst to be at least partially hydrolysed to acetic acid and methanol, and discharging a first head product from a reactive space head portion, discharging a bottom product from the column sump, discharging a second head product from a product space head portion, and discharging an intermediate product is discharged from the product space, which contains at least 99 wt % methanol.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the methanol and methyl acetate in the bottom product amount to less than 1% of the bottom product.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the methanol and methyl acetate in the bottom product amount to less than 0.5% of the bottom product.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the methanol and methyl acetate in the bottom product amount to less than 0.1% of the bottom product.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising condensing a portion of each of the first head product and the second head product for recycling.