Kinetic Studies on the Etherification of C(sub 5)-Alkenes to Fuel Ether tame;Doctoral thesis

摘要

Tertiary ethers are formed in reactions between alcohols and alkenes and are used in reformulated gasoline as octane-enhancing agents. By blending ethers into the gasoline pool, less ground-level ozone is formed and combustion of the gasoline is more efficient as a result of the oxygen boost. The main goal of this research was to study the synthesis of TAME (Tert-amyl methyl ether, 2-methoxy-2-methylbutane) and to formulate a kinetic model as precise as possible for process design purposes. The reaction rate was studied as a function of temperature and the reagents feed molar ratio with conventional ion-exchange resin beads and a novel fibrous ion-exchange catalyst. Kinetic modeling favored the Langmuir-Hinshelwood type model, derived from a dual-site mechanism for the etherification. The influence of the acid capacity of the catalysts on the reaction rate was found to be second order. These results suggest that the etherification reactions occur via a dual-site mechanism.