Synthesis of sulfonated graphene oxide loaded polyvinyl alcohol membranes for esterification of ethyl propionate in a pervaporative catalytic membrane reactor system: Experimental and modelling

Abstract

Ethyl propionate was produced using pervaporative catalytic membrane reactor-separator (PCMR) system. The reaction and separation were carried out by sulfonated graphene oxide (SGO) incorporated polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) membranes. The catalyst was prepared by sulfonation of graphene oxide using chlorosulfonic acid to achieve the desired degree of sulphonation. The catalyst and membranes were characterized by various techniques like Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Energy dispersive fluorescence spectroscopy (EDXRF), etc. Various parameters including catalyst loading, reaction time, reaction temperature, molar ratio, downstream pressure, etc. were studied. The PVA membrane crosslinked with fumaric acid was synthesized with different SGO catalyst loading. The prepared membrane was used to perform esterification of ethyl propionate in batch mode with PCMR system. Modelling and simulation studies were carried out to compare the experimental and predicted results. The heterogeneous Eley-Rideal kinetic model was fitted to obtain the conversion values with time and compared with the experimental results. Compared to the batch reactor the conversion was 17–41 % more in PCMR for different molar ratios and temperatures. The water flux was varied from 1.92 to 8.8 mol /m2h with time. Maximum conversion (98 %) occurred at higher temperatures, about 90 % conversion was achieved in the study at 60 ℃ in 8.5 h. The highest selectivity of water was obtained as 145 at a pressure of 6 mmHg with the hydrophilic PVA membrane.