Process simulation of tert-butyl acetate production by distillation column integrated with side reactors under different temperatures

An advanced technology integrating a high-temperature distillation column with low-temperature side reactors(SRC) was proposed for tert-butyl acetate production via the additive esterification of acetic acid and isobutylene, since the reaction and separation required completely different operations. With a vapor boilup rate of 100 kmol·h^-1, acetic acid conversion of 99.9% and tert-butyl acetate selectivity of 97.0%, the effects of flow rate from distillation column to reactors, stage number of rectification zone, side-reactor number and interval stage number between inlet and outlet of the reactor were systemically investigated. The results demonstrated that a higher economy process could be achieved with a more optimized match between the reaction capability and the separation capability. The obtained results laid a foundation for design and optimization of the industrial SRC process.