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A comparative study of gas phase esterification on solid acid catalysts

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Abstract

For the first time, a comprehensive comparison of the intrinsic activities of solid acid catalysts in terms of turnover frequency (TOF) is reported for the gas-phase esterification of acetic acid with methanol. The catalysts studied included a zeolite (Hβ), two modified zirconias (sulfated zirconia, SZ; and tungstated zirconia, WZ), and an acidic resin-silica composite (Nafion/silica, SAC-13). Activities on a per weight basis decreased in the following order: Hβ ∼ SAC-13 ≫ SZ >  WZ at 130 °C. However, on a rate-per-site basis (TOF), all catalysts showed comparable activities. The TOF results suggest that the acid sites of these catalysts have similar capacity for effectively catalyzing esterification. All catalysts deactivated to a quasi-steady-state rate with TOS. Regeneration experiments suggested that catalyst deactivation was due mainly to site blockage by carbonaceous deposits. Selective poisoning experiments showed that the reaction predominately took place on Brønsted acid sites.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the US Department of Agriculture (Award No 68-3A75-3-147). The authors would like to thank D.E. Lopez for BET surface area analyses and Magnesium Electron (MEL) for providing the WZ and SZ catalysts.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA

    Kaewta Suwannakarn, Edgar Lotero & James G. Goodwin Jr.

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  1. Kaewta Suwannakarn
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  2. Edgar Lotero
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  3. James G. Goodwin Jr.
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Correspondence to James G. Goodwin Jr..

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Suwannakarn, K., Lotero, E. & Goodwin, J.G. A comparative study of gas phase esterification on solid acid catalysts. Catal Lett 114, 122–128 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10562-007-9054-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10562-007-9054-4

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