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Published on: April 4, 2014
Catalytic reactive distillation process development for 1,1 diethoxy butane production from renewable sources
I Agirre1, V L Barrio, B Güemez
1Chemical and Environmental Engineering Department, Engineering School of Bilbao Alameda Urquijo s/n, 48013 Bilbao, Spain. ion.agirre@ehu.es
This study presents the synthesis of 1,1 diethoxy butane from bioethanol and butanal using catalytic reactive distillation. The process, utilizing renewable resources, achieved higher conversions than equilibrium, enabling initial process design studies.
Area of Science:
- Chemical Engineering
- Green Chemistry
- Catalysis
Background:
- Acetals derived from bioalcohols show promise as oxygenated diesel additives.
- 1,1 diethoxy butane can be synthesized from bioethanol and butanal.
- Butanal is accessible from biobutanol via oxidation or dehydrogenation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an innovative process for synthesizing 1,1 diethoxy butane.
- To investigate the use of catalytic reactive distillation for acetal production.
- To present and discuss experimental and simulation results.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of 1,1 diethoxy butane using catalytic reactive distillation.
- Employment of Katapak SP modules with Amberlyst 47 resin as structured catalytic packings.
- Experimental data collection and simulation model tuning for process design.
Main Results:
- Achieved higher conversions than equilibrium at identical temperatures.
- Demonstrated the effectiveness of the catalytic reactive distillation system.
- Developed a reliable simulation model for process design studies.
Conclusions:
- The catalytic reactive distillation process is effective for producing 1,1 diethoxy butane from renewable resources.
- The developed simulation model can guide initial process design.
- This method offers a viable route for producing sustainable diesel additives.
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