Avada process

There are a number of routes to produce ethyl acetate (Figure 1). Ethylene is generally the common starting feedstock for the Tischenko (via acetaldehyde), esterification and Avada processes. Ethyl acetate can also be produced through... 

In 2001 a 220,000 tonnes per annum plant for the production of ethyl acetate using a silica-supported HPA was successfully commissioned on the BP Chemicals site in Hull, UK. A schematic of the Avada plant is shown in Figure 2 (7). The Avada process is superior to other traditional processes in terms of... 

Figure 2 Schematic of BP Chemicals Avada process (reproduced from BP Frontiers, August 2002).

In summary, the Avada process is an excellent example of process intensification to achieve higher energy efficiency and reduction of waste streams due to the use of a solid acid catalyst. The successful application of supported HP As for the production of ethyl acetate paves the way for future applications of supported HP As in new green processes for the production of other chemicals, fuels and lubricants. Our results also show that application of characterization techniques enables a better understanding of the effects of process parameters on reactivity and the eventual rational design of more active catalysts. 

Figure4.30 Chemical reactions and simplified process schematic for BP s AVADA ethyl acetate process.

Like the AVADA and the AlkyClean processes, these two processes also replace the liquid acid/base catalysts with solid acids and bases [192]. Although the reaction mechanism for the heterogeneous acid-catalyzed esterification is similar to the homogeneously catalyzed one [207,208], there is an important difference concerning the relationship between the surface hydrophobicity and the catalyst s activity. This is especially true for fatty acids, which are very lipophilic compounds. One can envisage three cases First, if there are isolated Bronsted acid sites surrounded by a... 

Avada A one-step catalytic process for making ethyl acetate from ethylene and acetic acid. The catalyst is a silicotungstic acid made by Johnson Matthey. Developed from 1997 by BP and Johnson Matthey. Commercial production started in Hull, UK, in 2001. 

---