Application of Ion Exchange Resins in the Synthesis of Isobutyl Acetate

Abstract

Esterification reactions are one of the industrially important reactions. Esterification of carboxylic acids with alcohols in the presence of acid catalysts has been the subject of investigation by many scientists. The esters, products of these reactions, are commonly used in chemical industries such as solvents of paints, adhesives, plasticizers, flavors and fragrances, pesticides, and emulsifiers. The aim of this study is to investigate the application of the ion exchange resins as catalysts in the synthesis of isobutyl acetate. Heterogeneous catalysts such as Dowex 50W, Amberlite IR-120, and Amberlite IR-122 as catalysts were used in the experiments. Eley–Rideal model for both Amberlite IR-120 and Amberlite IR-122 was developed from the experimental data. The kinetic model for Dowex 50W was correlated by pseudo-homogeneous catalysis. The activation energy and the equilibrium constant of this reaction were calculated. As a result, Dowex 50W´2 showed the best performance among the studied catalysts.