Kinetic Study of Dowex 50 Wx8-Catalyzed Esterification and Hydrolysis of Benzyl Acetate

Dowex 50Wx8-catalyzed reactions occurring in systems containing acetic acid, benzyl alcohol, benzyl acetate, and water were studied over a range of catalyst loadings, temperatures, and feed compositions. The initial esterification rate is found to depend on these reaction conditions. The presence of water rather than ester in the feed is found to exert a more adverse effect on the esterification rate. Water is found to swell the resin significantly more than the other three components present in the system. The swelling and adsorption data indicate that adsorption behavior over Dowex 50Wx8 is complex. Although, the Langmuir−Hinshelwood (LH) model can successfully predict the esterification kinetics, it cannot validate the hydrolysis data. A new form of modified LH model indirectly accounting for changes occurring in the resin phase-component activities during the course of the reaction is presented. This is capable of predicting esterification and hydrolysis kinetics as well as the equilibrium behavior.