TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Catalyst: The acidic catalyst comprises sulfuric acid.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The process involves: hydrogenating acetic acid in a reactor to form a crude ethanol product comprising ethanol, acetic acid, and water; separating at least a portion of the crude ethanol product in a first column into a first distillate comprising ethanol and a first residue comprising acetic acid and water; reacting acetic acid from the first residue and methanol in a second column to produce a second distillate comprising methyl acetate and a second residue comprising water; and introducing at least a portion of the methyl acetate from the second distillate to a carbonylation reactor for producing acetic acid. The process further involves: introducing at least a portion of the acetic acid produced by the second reactor into the first reactor; condensing the methyl acetate stream; reducing at least a portion of the methyl acetate from the methyl acetate stream to produce an alcohol product stream; recovering ethanol from the alcohol product stream and feeding at least a portion of the ethanol to the crude ethanol product; recovering methanol from the alcohol product stream and reacting the methanol with the acetic acid in the dilute acid stream; and recovering methanol from the alcohol product stream and feeding at least a portion of the methanol to the second reactor. The dilute acid stream and the methanol are fed to the reactive distillation column at a mole ratio of acetic acid to methanol of 1:1 to 1:15. The methanol is fed to the carbonylation unit. At least a portion of the acetic acid produced in the carbonylation unit is fed to the first reactor. Preferred Apparatus: The esterification unit comprises a reactive distillation column. The reactive distillation column comprises an ion exchange resin bed or an acidic catalyst. The second reactor is a carbonylation unit. Preferred Components: The dilute acid stream comprises 2-60 wt.% of acetic acid and 40-98 wt.% of water. The methyl acetate stream comprises at least 15 wt.% of methyl acetate; less than 80 wt.% of methanol; and less than 1000 parts per million by weight of dimethyl ether. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.