Novel process for diethylacetal synthesis

Abstract

AbstractThis work presents the development of a novel process for the production of diethylacetal from the reaction between ethanol and acetaldehyde catalyzed by the acid resin Amberlyst® 15 using simulated moving‐bed reactor (SMBR) technology. The methodology used combines modeling/simulation with laboratory‐ and pilot‐scale experiments. The kinetic law of the reaction was measured from experiments in a batch catalytic reactor. The adsorption parameters were obtained from experiments performed in a fixed‐bed adsorption column. Laboratory experiments in fixed‐bed adsorptive reactors were performed and used to validate model and simulation tools. The SMBR technology was applied for diethylacetal production and separation with 87% purity and the acetaldehyde conversion was about 98%. The influence of feed composition, switching time, and mass‐transfer resistance on the SMBR performance was analyzed by simulation. The reaction/separation region was determined using separation zone methodology. Simulated results show that high acetal purities can be achieved for 100% acetaldehyde conversion. © 2005 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2005