Production of carboxylic acids and esters

Claim 1

A process for the carbonylation of reactants selected from the group consisting of acyclic saturated hydrocarbon alcohols having one to 20 carbon atoms, mono-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon alcohols having six to 10 carbon atoms, methyl acetate, ethyl propionate, methyl iodide and dimethyl ether, said process comprising contacting (1) at least one of said reactants, (2) carbon monoxide, (3) a supported rhodium component, (4) a supported metal component, and (5) a halogen component wherein during said contacting said rhodium component, said metal component and said halogen component are present in an amount sufficient to catalyze the carbonylation of said reactants, said contacting being carried out with the reactants and products in the vapor phase and at a temperature in the range of 50* to 500*C and when said reactants consist of methyl acetate, ethyl propionate, methyl iodide or dimethyl ether said contacting is also in the presence of water, said rhodium component of (3) is provided by a material selected from the group consisting of rhodium metal, simple rhodium salts, rhodium oxides, and coordination compounds of rhodium having at least one halogen ligand and at least one other ligand selected from carbon monoxide and trihalostannate ligands, said metal component of (4) is provided by a material selected from free metals, metal salts, and metal oxides of metals from I-B, III-B, IV-B, V-B, VI-B, VIII, the lanthanide and actinide groups of the Periodic Table and said halogen component of (5) is provided by bromine, iodine, a bromide compound or an iodide compound.