Continuous dehydration of sub- and supercritical ethanol to diethyl ether: catalyst screening

Diethyl ether in sub- and supercritical ethanol was continuously synthesized using p-toluenesulfonic acid, sulfuric acid, and Amberlyst 36® as catalysts. The process parameters of reaction temperatures (150-300) oC, feed flow rates (0.1- 0.7) mL.min-1, pressures (6-10) MPa and mass percent of catalyst (0.03- 0.05) % were selected to study the etherification reaction. At temperature of 200 oC, pressure of 8 MPa , feed flow rate of 0.1 mL.min-1, and 0.03 % of sulfuric acid to ethanol by weight, the maximum values of 77, 75 and 99% were obtained for ethanol conversion, yield and selectivity of diethyl ether, respectively.

Keywords:

Sub and supercritical ethanol , diethyl ether , p-toluenesulfonic acid , sulfuric acid , Amberlyst 36