Process for producing dimethyl carbonate

Abstract From the Canadian patent

Dimethyl carbonate is prepared by means of a continuous process: * by feeding, to a reaction chamber, methanol carbon monoxide and, oxygen, to a liquid reaction mixture with substantially constant composition and volume, containing methanol dimethyl carbonate, water, and a copper catalyst; * vapourising from the reaction mixture a stream of methanol water and, dimethyl carbonate, which is developed together with the carbonmonoxide-containing gas stream; and * recovering water and dimethyl carbonate from said vapourised mixture in amounts substantially equal to the respective amounts thereof which are formed in the reaction chamber and recycling the other components. The process, which is …