Carbonylation process catalysed by mordenite supported on inorganic oxides

1. A process for the preparation of methyl acetate and/or acetic acid product which process comprises contacting a carbonylatable reactant selected from dimethyl ether and methanol with carbon monoxide in the presence of a catalyst, wherein the catalyst is a H-mordenite bound with a mesoporous binder selected from silicas, aluminas, silica-aluminas, magnesium silicates and magnesium aluminum silicates.

2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the binder is selected from aluminas and silica-aluminas.

3. A process according to claim 2 wherein the alumina is a boehmite type alumina.

4. A process according to claim 2 wherein the silica-alumina has a silica content in the range 5 to 40 wt %.

5. A process according to claim 1 wherein the binder has a mesoporosity in the range 1 to 500 m 2 /g as measured by nitrogen BET.

6. A process according to claim 1 wherein the binder has a microporosity in the range 1 to 100 m 2 /g as measured by nitrogen BET.

7. A process according to claim 1 wherein the binder contains the metals of Group 1 and Group 2 of the Periodic Table of Elements and iron in a total amount in the range greater than 0 to 10 wt %.

8. A process according to claim 1 wherein the binder is present in the catalyst in an amount in the range 10 to 80% by weight of the catalyst.

9. A process according to claim 1 wherein the H-mordenite is bound with an alumina in an amount 35 to 65 wt % based on the total weight of H-mordenite and binder.

10. A process according to claim 1 wherein the H-mordenite is bound with an alumina or silica-alumina binder having a mesoporosity in the range 50 to 500 m 2 /g, a microporosity of less than 10 m 2 /g and 0 to 1 wt % in total of Group 1, Group 2 and iron metals and wherein the binder is present in the catalyst in an amount 10 to 80% by weight of catalyst.

11. A process according to claim 10 wherein the binder has 0 to 0.2 wt % in total of iron and the metals of Group 1 and Group 2 of the Periodic Table of Elements.

12. A process according to claim 1 wherein the carbonylatable reactant is dimethyl ether.

13. A process according to claim 12 wherein the process is carried out as an anhydrous process.

14. A process according to claim 1 , in which process hydrogen is present.

15. A process according to claim 1 wherein the product of the process comprises methyl acetate and at least part of the methyl acetate product is hydrolysed to acetic acid.