TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The catalyst comprises a combination of metals including platinum/tin, platinum/ruthenium, platinum/rhenium, palladium/ ruthenium, palladium/rhenium, cobalt/palladium, cobalt/platinum, cobalt/chromium, cobalt/ruthenium, silver/ palladium, copper/palladium, nickel/palladium, gold/palladium, ruthenium/rhenium, or ruthenium/iron.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The process further comprises separating at least a portion of the crude ethanol product in a flasher (106) into a vapor stream and a liquid stream, returning at least a portion of the vapor stream to the reactor; and directing at least a portion of the liquid stream to the first column. The process (A) further comprises separating ethanol from the crude ethanol product in at least one distillation column. The recovered acetaldehyde stream comprises acetaldehyde (2-80 wt.%). In the process (B): at least a portion of the fourth distillate is directly or indirectly returned to the reactor; and further comprises directly or indirectly returning at least a portion of the first residue to the reactor. The fourth column is operated at a pressure higher than the second column. The process (C), further comprises: directing at least a portion of the fourth distillate to a hydrogenation reactor; and returning at least a portion of the first residue to the reactor for the hydrogenation of acetic acid. Preferred Components: The acetic acid feed stream comprises at least one of the compounds including acetic acid, acetic anhydride, acetaldehyde and/or ethyl acetate. In the process (B) at least a portion of the crude ethanol product comprises acetic acid. In the process (C) the second column is an extractive distillation column that employs at least one extraction agent. In the process, the first residue comprises acetic acid (60-100 wt.%), based on the total weight of the first residue. The second residue comprises ethanol (20-75 wt.%) and water (30-70 wt.%). The weight ratio of ethanol in the second residue to ethanol in second distillate is at least 3:1. The fourth distillate comprises acetaldehyde (2-80 wt.%), and fourth residue comprises ethyl acetate (40-100 wt.%). EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.