Abstract: The reactive distillation is carried out in a column (1) with a packing (2) which is at least partly designed as a catalyst carrier (23). Fluids (3, 4) which form two phases of different densities flow through the packing. An internal volume flow (300) is set for the denser fluid (3), the value of which lies in an interval (I) about a distinguished value (a), with this value being associated with a dwell time distribution (32) of the denser fluid: For the distinguished value the variance (s) of the dwell time distribution—as a function of the internal volume flow—takes on a minimum; and at the boundaries of the named interval the internal volume flow does not differ from the distinguished value by more than 30%, preferably by more than 10%.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process of butylacetate production by esterification of acetic acid with butanol in the presence of a solid acidic catalyst in which distillatory separation of components runs simultaneously with esterification. Thus, acetic acid and butanol are introduced in defined amounts and in the molar ratio 1:1 to 1:10 into a system, in which the reaction and the distillatory separation proceeds in three zones. The reaction together with distillatory separation of the components with different boiling points run in the reaction zone, while only distillation takes place in lower and upper separation zones. A volatile mixture is separated in the upper separation zone, from which, after being cooled at 5 to 80° C., water and organic phases are separated, the latest being refluxed into the system. The ratio of the feed amount to the organic phase reflux amount is 1:1 to 1:20, the reflux amount representing 60 to 100% of the whole amount of the organic phase.