KINETIC STUDIES OF THE

ESTERIFICATION OF PURE AND

DILUTE ACRYLIC ACID WITH 2-
ETHYL HEXANOL CATALYSED
BY AMBERLYST15
Andrés Felipe Duque Amaya.
Universidad de Antioquia.
 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
 The untreated water containing AA produce negative
effect to the environment.
 Kinetic studies for the esterification of Acrylic
Acid(AA) and 2-Ethyl Hexanol(2EH) to produce 2-
Ethylhexyl Acrylate (2EHA) in a batch system.
 Examine the practicability of the Reactive Distillation
Column (RDC) method to recover Acrylic acid from
waste water.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
 Main esterification  Side Reaction
reaction

AA:CH2CHCOOH
2EH: (C2H5)CH2OH
2EHA:CH(C2H5)CH2
W:H20
 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The effect of various parameters that affects conversion and yield
during the esterification were studied:
 Agitation speed

 Catalyst particle size

 Temperature

 Catalyst loading

 Initial reactant molar ratio.

 AUTHOR’S PURPOSE, METHODS, HYPOTHESIS AND MAJOR CONCLUSIONS.

o Hyphotesis:
 Reactive Distillation method is one of the most promising
methods to converted AA from wastewater to produce 2-
Ethylhexyl Acrylate (2EHA).
 It’s expected higher performance in comparison with other
methods used to recover other types of organic acids (i.e.acetic
and fumaric acid).
 THE AUTHOR’S PURPOSE, METHODS, HYPOTHESIS AND MAJOR CONCLUSIONS.

o Author Purpose:
 To study the esterification reaction between Acrylic acid (AA)
and 2-ethyl hexanol (2EH) to produce 2-Ethylhexyl Acrylate
(2EHA).
 To investigate the effects of operation parameters over
conversion and yield production.
 To examine the possibility and efficiency of employing reactive
distillation in recovering Acrylic Acid from the waste water
AUTHOR’S PURPOSE, METHODS, HYPOTHESIS AND MAJOR CONCLUSIONS.

Experimental Methods Matherial

 Both reactants (2-ethyl hexanol
(99.99%) and acrylic acid
(99.99%)).

 A catalyst (Amberlyst 15).

 Hydroquinone monomethyl
ether (MEHQ) to prevent
polimerization reaction.
 AUTHOR’S PURPOSE, METHODS, HYPOTHESIS AND MAJOR CONCLUSIONS.

o Major Conclusions:
 The non-ideal Eley-Rideal(ER) model was found as the best fit
model to correlate the experimental kinetic data and
implemented a correction factor for water inhibition.
 The highest yield (70%) to produce 2-Ethylhexyl Acrylate
(2EHA) was obtained at the temperature of 388 K, initial molar
ratio of AA: 2EH of 1:3 and catalyst loading of 10 wt%.
RESULTS
RESULTS
RESULTS
RESULTS
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ARTICLE.

 The title is appropriate and clear:

 It’s related with the content and objective research.
 Represents faithfully the statement of the problem and save
completely relation between author purpose and what they did.
 I’ts specific enough to describe the contents of the paper and
synthesize in one sentence the keywords, being appropriate for
the intended audience.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ARTICLE.

 The abstract is specific and representative of the article.

 Summarizes adequately the purpose, methods, results and
conclusions of the research.
o The introduction announce correctly the topic of research, provide
context including a brief literature review, state the research
question and hypothesis, and establish clearly the purpose of the
investigation.
o Authors were objective in the discussion of the topic. Their
contribution was original, significant and objectivity.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ARTICLE.

 Experimental methods and materials employed to become

observations were explained carefully and adequately.
 The methodology and operation conditions were explained clearly
and the kinetic model validation represents this appropriate
procedure.
 Study design and experimental methods used to become the purpose
research were appropriated.
 The experimental methodology proposed by the authors was very
detailed and could be replicated with the appropriate materials and
chromatography analysis equipment. Only would lack more
information about the PID system to control temperature.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ARTICLE.

 Experimental methods and materials employed to become

observations were explained carefully and adequately.
 The methodology and operation conditions were explained clearly
and the kinetic model validation represents this appropriate
procedure.
 Study design and experimental methods used to become the
purpose research were appropriated.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ARTICLE.

 The nonlinear regression method employed to fit data’s is

adequately for this type of system due the nonlinearity and
dispersion of data’s.

 The experimental methodology proposed by the authors was very

detailed and could be replicated with the appropriate materials
and chromatography analysis equipment. Only would lack more
information about the PID system to control temperature.
 SUGGESTIONS FOR THE AUTHORS.

 The reference Peykovaetal. et.al. 2012 should be eliminated since

it’s not related with the topic indexed.(Activity coefficients using
the UNIFAC group contribution method ).
 SUGGESTIONS FOR THE AUTHORS.

 Correct equation for the calculus of the equilibrium constant

according with the Komon et.al.2013 report.
 SUGGESTIONS FOR THE AUTHORS.

 Included the mechanism of reactions for the pseudo-

homogeneous (PH), Eley–Rideal (ER) and Langmuir–
Hinshelwood–Hougen–Watson (LHHW) kinetic models.
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE AUTHORS.

Pseudo-homogeneous Model. Eley-Rideal mechanism

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE AUTHORS.

LHHW Model LHHW Model

A:Acrylic acid
B:2EH
C:2EHA
D:Water
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE AUTHORS.

 Graphs should be represented with different colors for

better reader understanding.
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE AUTHORS.
CONCLUSIONS
 The Article is objetive,clear and appropiated for a
particular field of knowledge.(Catalysis)

 It analyses in depth methodology,results and conclusions.

 Authors explain in depth all steps of the research being

very accurate in their results without falling into
redundancy.
CONCLUSIONS
 The experimental methodology proposed by the authors was
very detailed and could be replicated with the appropriate
materials and chromatography analysis equipment.
 The discussion of the topic was relevant, realistic and
rigorous.

 The Contribution was original and significant.