Process for the production of ethyl alcohol

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ETHYL ALCOHOL BY THE REACTION OF METHANOL, CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN UNDER PRESSURE IN EXCESS OF ABOUT 3,000-4,000 P.S.I. BUT NOT IN EXCESS OF PRESSURES AT WHICH GLYCOL ETHERS ARE FORMED AND TEMPERATURE RANGING FROM ABOUT 150 TO ABOUT 250*C. IN THE PRESENCE OF A COBALT CATALYST CONTAINING FROM ABOUT 0.5 TO ABOUT 0.05 GRAM OF COBALT METAL FOR EACH GRAM MOLE OF METHANOL, AND FROM ABOUT 0.4 TO ABOUT 0.005 GRAM OF IODINE PROMOTER FOR EACH GRAM OF METHANOL AND UTILIZING A MOLE RATIO OF HYDROGEN TO CARBON MONOXIDE OF FROM ABOUT 4 TO 1 TO ABOUT 1 TO 2, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES CARRYING OUT THE REACTION IN THE PRESENCE OF ETHYL ALCOHOL PROMOTING AMOUNTS OF A PHOSPHORUS COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF DIAMMONIUM PHOSPHATE, MONOAMMONIUM PHOSPHATE, PHOSPHORIC ACID, TRIS(2-ETHYLHEXYL) PHOSPHITE, DIBUTYLHYDROGEN PHOSPHITE, TRIPHENYL, PHOSPHINE, BIS(2-ETHYLHEXYL)-2-ETHYLHEXYL PHOSPHONATE, SODIUM META PHOSPHATE, DISODIUM HYDROGEN PHOSPHATE AND DIPOTASSIUM HYDROGEN PHOSPHATE.