Esterificatfon of n-Butanol with Acetic Acid Catalyzed by a Cation Exchange Resin

The kinetics of the esterification of n-butanol with acetic acid have been studied in a batch and in a tubular reactor. The best model for obtaining the esterification rate with a partially wet ion exchanger (270/o water contents) is obtained by assuming a pseudohomogeneous system, while the kinetics of dry ion exchangers is best represented by a model derived from assumptions based on a heterogeneous system. A separate study of the induction period in a tubular reactor shows the considerable influence of the water content on reaction kinetics. This is manifested by a change of the catalytic activity during the reaction. Change of the catalytic activity can lead to erroneous interpretation of experimental results and to derivations of inadequate kinetic expression. It is shown that change of ion exchanger activity in the induction period is caused by diffusion of reactants into resin particle.