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Research the industrial production and testing of ethyl ethanoate and describe the scale, equipment,
testing and the raw materials used to produce ethyl ethanoate in industry.
The main method of industrial production to produce ethanol ethanoate involves the process
esterification of ethanol with acetic acid. However, some is produced by the catalytic
condensation of acetaldehyde with alkoxides. When the production and testing of ethyl
ethanoate is carried out, the equipment used in the industrial production and testing is
more advanced and also the scale is larger. The equipment is more advanced because with
more advanced equipment, if used correctly, the chances of the ethyl ethanoate that is
being manufactured being impure is less likely to be so. They need to make sure that they
use the best and most suited equipment as the ethyl ethanoate produced by the industries
will also be used in products that will be served to the public, and so making sure it is to its
best standard is crucial. The scale used in the industry is significantly larger than the scale
we used. This is because ethyl ethanoate is used for many purposes, such as nail polish
removal, glue, tea and coffee decaffeinating, and due to this arte larger scale is required in
order to produce as much ethyl ethanoate as possible.
Additionally, new technologies have been commercialised which allows a larger quantity of
ethyl ethanoate to be produced in industry and due to this up to 220,000 tonnes are
produced annually. A mixture of ethylene and acetic acid with a solid acid catalyst is used
which speeds up the chemical production process but does not add anything to the
reaction. This process is called Avada and it is mainly used where it is not available for
esterification to be used. The Avada process consists of a medium pressure vapour phase
reaction stage as well, when the pressure is lowered, and when the reaction mixture is
passed to a separation train. The technology which is used in the Avada process are highly
efficient because the energy requirement is minimised to its lowest and it is strongly
material efficient. Another process which is called Kvaerner’s, that is similar to Avada,
produces up to 50,000 tonnes a year, however the process works by having the ethanol to
be dehydrogenated to acetaldehyde which further reacts to form ethyl acetate.
Esterification
1. A mixture of acetic acid and ethanol with a small amount of sulphuric acid is preheated.
2. This is then put into an esterifying column, where it will be refluxed.
3. The mixture that is removed will then be fed into the second reflux column and a ternary
azeotrope containing 85% ethyl acetate is then removed.
4. Water is mixed with the distillate and due to this the mixture separates into two
layers.
5. The top layer is then refluxed on a column from which the residue contains 95%
ethanol ethanoate and it is then distilled so that the impurities can be eradicated.
Raw Materials:
Ethanoic acid
Sulphuric acid (catalyst)
Ethanol
Research the industrial production and testing of ethyl ethanoate and describe the scale, equipment,
testing and the raw materials used to produce ethyl ethanoate in industry.
The main method of industrial production to produce ethanol ethanoate involves the process
esterification of ethanol with acetic acid. However, some is produced by the catalytic
condensation of acetaldehyde with alkoxides. When the production and testing of ethyl
ethanoate is carried out, the equipment used in the industrial production and testing is
more advanced and also the scale is larger. The equipment is more advanced because with
more advanced equipment, if used correctly, the chances of the ethyl ethanoate that is
being manufactured being impure is less likely to be so. They need to make sure that they
use the best and most suited equipment as the ethyl ethanoate produced by the industries
will also be used in products that will be served to the public, and so making sure it is to its
best standard is crucial. The scale used in the industry is significantly larger than the scale
we used. This is because ethyl ethanoate is used for many purposes, such as nail polish
removal, glue, tea and coffee decaffeinating, and due to this arte larger scale is required in
order to produce as much ethyl ethanoate as possible.
Additionally, new technologies have been commercialised which allows a larger quantity of
ethyl ethanoate to be produced in industry and due to this up to 220,000 tonnes are
produced annually. A mixture of ethylene and acetic acid with a solid acid catalyst is used
which speeds up the chemical production process but does not add anything to the
reaction. This process is called Avada and it is mainly used where it is not available for
esterification to be used. The Avada process consists of a medium pressure vapour phase
reaction stage as well, when the pressure is lowered, and when the reaction mixture is
passed to a separation train. The technology which is used in the Avada process are highly
efficient because the energy requirement is minimised to its lowest and it is strongly
material efficient. Another process which is called Kvaerner’s, that is similar to Avada,
produces up to 50,000 tonnes a year, however the process works by having the ethanol to
be dehydrogenated to acetaldehyde which further reacts to form ethyl acetate.
Esterification
1. A mixture of acetic acid and ethanol with a small amount of sulphuric acid is preheated.
2. This is then put into an esterifying column, where it will be refluxed.
3. The mixture that is removed will then be fed into the second reflux column and a ternary
azeotrope containing 85% ethyl acetate is then removed.
4. Water is mixed with the distillate and due to this the mixture separates into two
layers.
5. The top layer is then refluxed on a column from which the residue contains 95%
ethanol ethanoate and it is then distilled so that the impurities can be eradicated.
Raw Materials:
Ethanoic acid
Sulphuric acid (catalyst)
Ethanol
