Theoretical Analysis of Simulated Moving Bed Reactor for Rapid Reversible Acetalization of Glycerol with Acetone to Synthesize Solketal

The efficient reversible acetalization to synthesis solketal from glycerol and acetone (A + B ⇄ C + D type reversible reaction) using a simulated moving bed reactor (SMBR) packed with hydrogen-type cation-exchange resin Amberlyst 16 as a solid catalyst was studied. The Eley-Rideal type kinetic model for batch heterogeneous acetalization was constructed to estimate the model parameters. The batch kinetic model was extended to the mass transfer model for SMBR to determine the operating condition. In SMBR system, calculated elution curves of solketal for extract and raffinate well simulated the experimental behaviors. Calculated concentration profiles within the SMBR helped to understand that the SMBR system for acetalization of glycerol with acetone was significantly affected by the fluctuation of extract flow rate. The adequate operating condition of SMBR was successfully determined with the aid of a calculated contour plot of solketal yield on the plane of extract flow rate and switching interval.