Production of acetic acid

A continuous process for the liquid phase oxidation of a hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of alkanes or alkenes having 3 to 8 carbon atoms or mixtures thereof, said hydrocarbon being straight or branched chain or cyclic, to provide acetic acid comprising A. ADMIXING SAID HYDROCARBON; AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS; INITIALLY A SOLVENT COMPRISING A CARBOXYLIC ACID HAVING 2 TO 4 CARBON ATOMS OR A MIXTURE OF LIQUID PRODUCTS FORMED BY THE PROCESS; A COBALT CATALYST; AND ETHANOL IN A REACTION ZONE WHEREIN THE AMOUNT OF HYDROCARBON IS IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 5 PERCENT BY WEIGHT TO ABOUT 150 PERCENT BY WEIGHT PROVIDED THAT THERE IS A MOLAR EXCESS OF HYDROCARBON OVER OXYGEN; THE AMOUNT OF COBALT IS IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 0.03 PERCENT BY WEIGHT TO ABOUT 3 PERCENT BY WEIGHT PROVIDED THAT THE COBALT IS IN THE FORM OF A SALT SOLUBLE IN THE SOLVENT; AND THE AMOUNT OF ETHANOL IS ABOUT 1 PERCENT BY WEIGHT TO ABOUT 20 PERCENT BY WEIGHT, ALL SAID PERCENTAGES BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF THE SOLVENT, AND WHEREIN THE TEMPERATURE IS IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 80 DEG C to about 150 DEG C; and the total reaction pressure and partial pressure of oxygen are sufficient to maintain the reaction in the liquid phase TO FORM A MIXTURE OF LIQUID PRODUCTS INCLUDING ACETIC ACID; AND B. PASSING THE MIXTURE OF LIQUID PRODUCTS, THE COBALT CATALYST, AND UNREACTED HYDROCARBON FROM STEP (A) INTO A SEPARATION ZONE WHEREIN A PORTION OF THE ACETIC ACID IS SEPARATED AND RECOVERED, AND WHEREIN A PORTION OF THE MIXTURE OF LIQUID PRODUCTS IN SUFFICIENT AMOUNT TO PROVIDE SOLVENT FOR STEP (A), THE COBALT CATALYST, AND THE UNREACTED HYDROCARBON ARE SEPARATED AND RECYCLED TO THE REACTION ZONE.