Experimental study of liquid-phase adsorption equilibrium and diffusion resistances of butanol over Amberlyst-15

摘要

The additions of tertiary alkyl ethers to gasoline and of linear ethers to diesel-based products have been established as a plausible solution for reducing the environmental impact from transportation fuel combustion and for increasing the fuels energetic performance. The main tertiary alkyl ethers used are methyl tert-butyl ether, ethyl tert-butyl ether, tert-amyl methyl ether and tert-amyl ethyl ether [1]. More recently, propyl tert-butyl ether and butyl tert-butyl ether have also been considered as promising gasoline additives [2]. With regards to linear ethers, either symmetric or asymmetric, those with C8-C16 carbon length chain, e.g. di-n-butyl ether, di-n-pentyl ether and ethyl octyl ether, are suitable additives for diesel formulations [3]. Tertiary alkyl ethers are usually synthesized by the addition of alcohols to tertiary olefins, whereas linear ethers are produced from dehydration reactions of alcohols, being acidic ion-exchange resins (IER) excellent catalyst for both type of reactions. One advantage of ethanol (EtOH) and butanol (BuOH) based ethers is their consideration as bioethers since they are produced from bioalcohols, which in turn, are envisaged as renewable energy resource.