The 1980–2015 literature has been critically reviewed to examine how acetic acid manufacturing practice has progressed over these 35 years and whether this important organic acid manufacturing sector is on the right track to ensure sustainable business. Amidst growing environmental awareness and emerging regulations all over the world, a paradigm shift in production strategy in favor of green processes appears imminent. Literature reveals that despite huge worldwide demand, conventional manufacturing practices still largely revolve around multi-step and multi-phase unit operations that fail to ensure clean production environment. Production process is still dominated by a chemical synthesis route where multiple traditional unit operations like distillation, evaporation, absorption, filtration, crystallization, acid and alkali treatments are required involving huge energy, material, manpower, and capital consumption. On the other hand, prospects for process intensification through adoption of membrane technology in downstream separation and purification appear to have brightened. Emergence of tailor-made and highly selective membranes in fouling free modules has opened up new avenues towards green production that has the potential of ensuring sustainable business. This article directs further research towards process intensification.

我们仔细审查了1980-2015年的文献，以研究这35年间乙酸生产实践的发展情况，以及这一重要的有机酸生产部门是否在确保可持续业务发展的正确轨道上。在全球范围内日益增长的环境意识和新法规的推动下，生产战略向绿色工艺转变的迫在眉睫。文献表明，尽管全球需求量很大，但传统的制造实践仍主要围绕无法确保清洁生产环境的多步和多阶段单元操作进行。生产过程仍以化学合成路线为主导，在该路线中，多个传统的单元操作如蒸馏，蒸发，吸收，过滤，结晶，需要进行酸和碱处理，这需要大量的能源，材料，人力和资本消耗。另一方面，通过在下游分离和纯化中采用膜技术来强化工艺的前景似乎已经光明。在无污物模块中出现了量身定制的高选择性膜，为绿色生产开辟了新途径，有可能确保可持续业务。本文将指导进一步研究过程强化。在无污物模块中出现了量身定制的高选择性膜，为绿色生产开辟了新途径，有可能确保可持续业务。本文将指导进一步研究过程强化。在无污物模块中出现了量身定制的高选择性膜，为绿色生产开辟了新途径，有可能确保可持续业务。本文将指导进一步研究过程强化。