Hybrid inorganic-organic catalysts for ethyl tert-butyl ether synthesis

What is it about?

Paper presents a study on physical-chemical properties of hybrid inorganic-organic acid materials and their catalytic performance in ETBE synthesis under both atmospheric and elevated pressure. Such materials are compositions of acid styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer and silica with various (1.5–9.2 wt. %) polymer loadings (loaded resins LR). We have found that LR has better thermal stability compared to that of commercial sulfonic resins. Acidic properties of LR show that the acidity of polymer phase decreases with increasing of polymer loading. Catalytic tests show that under atmospheric pressure ethyl tert-butyl ether synthesis requires a higher acid capacity of LR than that under elevated pressure and proceeds with 100 % of selectivity. Under pressure the side reaction of tert-butanol formation occurs and LR samples with higher polymer content (≥ 6.9 wt. %) possess lower conversion but higher selectivity compared to LR with polymer content below 6.9 wt. %.

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