Flow reactor synthesis of cetane-enhancing fuel additive from 1-butanol

• The catalytic conversion of 1-butanol into di-n-butyl ether (DBE) was studied in a fixed-bed flow reactor (10 g of catalyst).
• Zeolites, ion-exchange resins, and γ-alumina were tested as catalysts.
• The process was performed at 130–300 °C and 1–70 bar to optimize reaction conditions for each catalyst.
• The apparent activation energy of 1-butanol conversion was about 90 kJ/mol; the reaction proceeded in the kinetic region.
• DBE yield of 65 mol% in a flow reactor reported for the first time.

The catalytic dehydration of 1-butanol on γ-alumina, zeolites, and Amberlyst ion-exchange resins for the production of di-n-butyl ether (DBE) in a fixed-bed flow reactor was studied at 130–300 °C and 1–70 bar. The activity and selectivity of the catalysts were evaluated, and the effects of operating parameters (T, p, and VHSV) on the kinetics of the test reaction were studied for the most active catalyst samples. Based on mass balance data, a conclusion was made that zeolites and Amberlyst ion exchangers are suitable catalysts for DBE production from 1-butanol; at a feed conversion of about 70%, selectivity for DBE was 90%. These DBE yields are reported for the first time to be obtained in a fixed-bed flow reactor.

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