| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39520 | Applied Catalysis A: General | 2015 | 7 Pages |
•Acetylation of glycerol in the presence of toluene as an entrainer was investigated.•Acidic ion exchange resins showed high activity and selectivity for triacetin.•Amberlyst-70 showed best performance with yield to triacetin of >95%.•Formation of a new byproduct diglycerol tetraacetate (DGTA) was observed.
Esterification of glycerol with acetic acid in the presence of toluene as an entrainer was performed over acidic Amberlyst ion-exchange resins in a batch reactor. Toluene continuously removed the reaction water, thus the chemical equilibrium was effectively shifted; the selectivity for the most desired product triacetin was dramatically increased. The influence of reaction conditions such as reaction time, acetic acid: glycerol molar ratio and catalyst amount were investigated. More than 95% selectivity to triacetin at complete glycerol conversion was obtained. The ion-exchange resin catalysts were reusable in subsequent runs, but due to some deactivation the triacetin yields deteriorated.
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