Synthesis of acetal (1,1-diethoxyethane) from ethanol and acetaldehyde over acidic catalysts

Article

Authorship

Capeletti, Maria Rosa ; Abovsky, Leandro ; de la Puente, Gabriela ; LABORDE, MIGUEL ANGEL ; SEDRAN, ULISES ANSELMO

Date

2000

Publishing House and Editing Place

Elsevier Science

Magazine

APPLIED CATALYSIS A-GENERAL, vol. 198 (pp. 1-4) Elsevier Science

Summary Information provided by the agent in SIGEVA

Various acidic catalysts (zeolitic and amorphous FCC catalysts, mordenite, montmorillonite, and sulfonic ion exchange resin) were tested for the synthesis of acetal from ethanol and acetaldehyde, at 4 and 20C and atmospheric pressure in batch stirred reactors. All the catalysts were active, but the exchange resin showed amuch better performance than the other catalysts, since it quickly reached equilibrium ethanol conversion values. The resin was also tested under different pressures and cataly... Various acidic catalysts (zeolitic and amorphous FCC catalysts, mordenite, montmorillonite, and sulfonic ion exchange resin) were tested for the synthesis of acetal from ethanol and acetaldehyde, at 4 and 20C and atmospheric pressure in batch stirred reactors. All the catalysts were active, but the exchange resin showed amuch better performance than the other catalysts, since it quickly reached equilibrium ethanol conversion values. The resin was also tested under different pressures and catalyst to reactants ratios. Clear relationships between the catalyst activity, the amount of acidity and the physical properties of the catalysts were not apparent. A possible reaction mechanism suggests that protonic acid sites are necessary. Water, a reaction product, seems to have an inhibitory effect on the reaction rate.