Esterification of acetic acid over mesoporous Al-MCM-41 molecular sieves

Esterification of acetic acid with amyl alcohol was carried out in the vapour phase using Al-MCM-41 (Si/Al = 25, 50, 75 and 100) between 150 and 250 °C. At each temperature the activity of the catalysts followed the order Al-MCM-41 (100) > Al-MCM-41 (75) > Al-MCM-41 (50) > Al-MCM-41 (25). The order suggests that the hydrophobic property of the catalysts over their reactivity in part to their density of acid sites. The study of the time on stream at 250 °C showed about 25% decrease in conversion at the end of 5 h. Above 250 °C the conversion was insignificant.CH3(CH2)4OH+CH3COOH⟶A1-MCM-41CH3(CH2)4OCOCH3+H2O