Palladium catalysts polyvinyl acetate

A gold-palladium catalyst which includes potassium acetate is very well established for the production of vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) from ethene, acetic acid and oxygen in selectivities as high as 96% (see Section 8.4). VAM is an important intermediate used in the production of polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl butyral and a variety of other polymers, and the gold-catalysed process followed many years of industrially focused research and patent activity in a number of large industrial companies 39-43... 

The newer type of colloidal catalysts have been prepared containing palladium (4), platinum (4), rhodium (5), and iridium (6). A variety of synthetic polymers has been applied. Among those tested were polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinyl acetate (PVAc), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and polymethyl acrylate (PAMA). In general, polyvinyl alcohol (4a) has been found most satisfactory. 

The story starts with crude oil or natural gas fractions, e.g. naphtha, which are cracked to give principally ethylene. The ethylene is then reacted with acetic acid and oxygen over a supported palladium catalyst to produce the vinyl acetate (see section 12.7.4). Finally this is polymerized to polyvinyl acetate which is then mixed with the other ingredients to produce the emulsion paint. 

The major route for the industrial production of vinyl acetate, the monomer of polyvinyl acetate (emulsion paints, adhesives) and its hydrolysis product, polyvinyl alcohol (textiles, food packaging) is closely related to the Wacker acetaldehyde process, but the industrial catalysts are heterogeneous. A mixture of ethene, oxygen and acetic acid is passed over a palladium catalyst supported on alumina at 100-200°C. The overall reaction is H C=CH2-hCHjCO H-hyO ->H2C=CHC02CH3 -hH O. Ethene is no longer cheap, so that work is being pursued to make vinyl acetate from synthesis gas (p. 384). 

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