Study on the formation kinetics of isopropyl acetate synthesized from acetic acid and propylene

The production process of isopropyl acetate synthesized directly from acetic acid and propylene by one-step catalytic esterification is a process of green atom economic technology. The reaction kinetics of gas-liquid-solid three phase systems was studied in this paper. In order to obtain the kinetic data of the three phase reaction, an experimental apparatus was designed, which can measure the consumption of propylene automatically. Under the condition of constant pressure, the propylene was continuously fed, and the instantaneous and accumulative consumption quantities of propylene were obtained by using the mass flow meter and strict integral calculation. After eliminating the influences of internal diffusion and external diffusion, the pseudo-homogeneous kinetic model was established for the reaction temperature range of 110 to 150°C and the pressures of 0.63, 0.84, 1.0 and 1.5 MPa, respectively. According to the experimental data under different conditions, the reaction rate constants and Henry coefficients at different temperatures were obtained. The kinetic model established would provide a design reference for the industrial application in green synthesis of isopropyl acetate.