Patents by Inventor J. Alfonso Torres

J. Alfonso Torres has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Co-production of vinyl acetate and ethyl acetate
    Patent number: 7700801
    Abstract: A method of co-producing vinyl acetate and ethyl acetate includes: (a) reacting ethylene, acetic acid and oxygen to form vinyl acetate and at least a minor amount of ethyl acetate; (b) providing a crude product stream containing the vinyl acetate and ethyl acetate of step (a) and acetic acid to a distillation tower; (c) separating the crude product stream into: (i) a vinyl acetate product stream enriched in vinyl acetate with respect to the crude product stream; (ii) an acid recycle stream enriched in acetic acid with respect to the crude product stream; (iii) a mixed sidestream containing vinyl acetate and ethyl acetate, the mixed sidestream being enriched in ethyl acetate with respect to the vinyl acetate product stream; and (d) hydrogenating vinyl acetate in the mixed sidestream to provide an ethyl acetate product stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Celanese International Corporation
    Inventors: R. Jay Warner, J. Alfonso Torres