Feasibility study of using funtionalized mesoporous silicas as catalysts in reactive distillation: esterification of acetic acid with n -Butanol

Abstract

Mesoporouses silicas MCM-41, MCM-48, SBA-15, and HMS, functionalized with the propylsulphonic acid group by graftingand co-condensationmethods have high thermal stability and catalytic activity to synthesize n-butyl acetate by acetic acid esterification with n-butanol. Due to these characteristics, the mesoporouses functionalized silicas are potential catalysts for reactive distillation process. In this way, the traditional production process of n-butyl acetate by reactive distillation method, which is carried out at 0.033 MPa (0.33 atm) was compared with the process carried out at atmospheric pressure (0.101 MPa). AMINLP(Mixed-Integer Non- linear Programming Optimization) optimization strategy and the commercial simulator Aspen Plus were used. Results showed that under optimal conditions the economic potential increases 9% by the atmospheric system.