FIELD: technological processes.
SUBSTANCE: invention relates to a process for co-production of acetic acid and dimethyl ether by dehydration-hydrolysis of a mixture of methanol and methyl acetate, carried out at a temperature of 100 to 350 °C, and atmospheric pressure or higher in the presence of at least one solid acid catalyst and water to obtain a reaction product containing dimethyl ether and acetic acid, where in this method the amount of water for dehydration-hydrolysis is controlled by: dehydrating methanol feedstock containing methanol and water to obtain a crude dehydration product containing dimethyl ether, unreacted methanol and water; extracting from the crude dehydration product i) a dimethyl ether stream containing dimethyl ether, water and methanol, and ii) a water stream; extracting dimethyl ether from the dimethyl ether stream to form a methanol stream containing methanol and water; and introducing into the dehydration-hydrolysis reaction the methanol stream or part thereof, methyl acetate and optionally one or more recycling streams containing one or more of the following: methanol, methyl acetate and water.
EFFECT: method enables to control the amount of water.
18 cl, 1 dwg, 2 tbl, 1 ex
