Kinetics of Catalytic Esterification of Acetic Acid and Amyl Alcohol over Dowex

The kinetic behavior of the heterogeneous esterification of acetic acid with amyl alcohol over an acidic cation-exchange resin, Dowex 50Wx8-100, was investigated. The experiments were conducted in a fixed-bed reactor at temperatures from 323 to 393 K and at molar ratios of feed (amyl alcohol to acetic acid) from 1 to 10. The equilibrium conversion of acetic acid was found to increase with increasing reaction temperature. A water-rich phase (the second liquid phase) appeared in the reacting mixture when the feed composition was close to stoichiometric. Gas bubble formation was observed when the reaction temperature was as high as 393 K. The kinetic data were correlated with the quasi-homogeneous, Langmuir−Hinshelwood, Eley−Rideal, and modified Langmuir−Hinshelwood models. The modified Langmuir-Hinshelwood model yielded the best representation for the kinetic behavior of the reaction over wide ranges of temperature and feed composition.