Evaluation of published kinetic models for tert-amyl ethyl ether synthesis

The published kinetic models for liquid phase synthesis of tert-amyl ethyl ether (TAEE) by addition of ethanol to isoamylenes on acidic ion exchange resins were evaluated by comparison with own experimental data. Fixed bed and batch reactor experiments were carried out in liquid phase on Amberlyst-35 ion exchange resin as catalyst. Among the published kinetic models, our experimental data fits the best with the model published by [J.A. Linnekoski, A.O. Krause, L.K. Rihko, Kinetics of the heterogeneously catalyzed formation of tert-amyl ethyl ether, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 36 (1997) 310–316.]. In the simulation study for the fixed bed reactor experiments, the influences of axial mixing, liquid–solid mass transfer and internal diffusion steps on the overall process kinetics were theoretically evaluated. The results evidenced that on the working temperature domain, significant kinetic limitations by internal diffusion can appear for catalyst pellets size over 1 mm. The external mass transfer step has a weak influence on the process kinetics and can be important only at lower limit of the flow rates domain. Our computations evidenced also a negligible influence of the axial mixing on the reactants conversion in the experimental fixed bed reactor, on the working domain investigated.