TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The first metal is Group IB, IIB, IIIB, IVB, VB, VIB, VIIB, or VIII transitional metal, a lanthanide metal, an actinide metal or a metal from any of Groups IIIA, IVA, VA or VIA, preferably copper, iron, cobalt, nickel, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, platinum, titanium, zinc, chromium, rhenium, molybdenum or tungsten. The first metal is present at 0.1-25 wt.%. The support modifier is alkaline earth metal oxides, alkali metal oxides, alkaline earth metal metasilicates, alkali metal metasilicates, Group IIB metal oxides, Group IIB metal metasilicates, Group IIIB metal oxides and/or Group IIIB metal metasilicates. The support modifier is oxides or metasilicates of sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, scandium, yttrium or zinc. The support modifier is present at 0.1-50 wt.%. The support is present at 25-99 wt.%. The support has a surface area of 50-600 m2/g. The support is silica, silica/alumina, calcium metasilicate, pyrogenic silica and/or high purity silica. The support contains less than 1 wt.% of aluminum. The catalyst further comprises a second metal different from the first metal. The first metal is platinum and the second metal is tin. The molar ratio of platinum to tin is 0.4:0.6-0.6:0.4. The first metal is palladium and the second metal is rhenium. The molar ratio of rhenium to palladium is 0.7:0.3-0.85:0.15. The second metal is copper, molybdenum, tin, chromium, iron, cobalt, vanadium, tungsten, palladium, platinum, lanthanum, cerium, manganese, ruthenium, rhenium, gold or nickel. The second metal is present at 0.1-10 wt.%. The catalyst further comprises a third metal different from the first and second metals. The third metal is cobalt, palladium, ruthenium, copper, zinc, platinum, tin or rhenium. The third metal is present at 0.05-4 wt.%. Preferred Process: In the process, at least 10% of the acetic acid is converted during hydrogenation. The hydrogenation has selectivity to methane, ethane, and/or carbon dioxide of less than 4%. The catalyst has a productivity that decreases less than 6% per 100 hours of catalyst usage. The acetic acid is obtained from a coal source, natural gas source or biomass source. The process further comprises dehydrating the ethanol obtained during the hydrogenation to produce ethylene. The hydrogenation is performed in a vapor phase at 125-350 degrees C, a pressure of 10-3000 KPa, and a hydrogen to acetic acid mole ratio of greater than 4:1. The process comprises: hydrogenating acetic acid in the presence of a catalyst comprising metal complex of formula (PtvPdwRexSnyCapSiqOr) or (PtvPdwRexSnyAlzCapSiqOr).v/y = 3:2-2:3;w/x = 1:3-1:5;p/q = 1:20-1:200, where p, z and the relative locations of aluminum and calcium atoms present are controlled such that Bronsted acid sites present upon their surface are balanced by a support modifier;r = to satisfy valence requirements; and(3.25v+1.75w)/q = 0.005-0.05.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The crude ethanol product comprises: ethanol (20-50 (preferably 25-50) wt.%); acetic acid (28-70 (preferably 44-65) wt.%); water (10-30 (preferably 10-26) wt.%); and any other compounds (less than 6 (preferably less than 4) wt.%). EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.