KINETICS OF LIQUID-PHASE SYNTHESIS OF ETHYL TERT-BUTYL ETHER FROM TERT-BUTYL ALCOHOL AND ETHANOL CATALYZED BY ION-EXCHANGE RESIN AND HETEROPOLY ACID

Synthesis of ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) from ethanol (EtOH) and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) in the liquid phase was studied by using ion exchange resin, Amberlyst 15 (A15) in the H+ form and heteropoly acid, H0.5Cs3.5SiW12O40(HPA). Experiments were carried out in a stirred batch reactor with different temperatures under atmospheric pressure. It was found that water will inhibit the reaction rates greatly and the dehydration of TBA could not be neglected in this study. A kinetics model which considered the inhibition of water and the decrease of volume was proposed. The experimental results agreed well with the model. (C) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.