INORGANIC SUPPORTED POLYMERIC CATALYSTS

Acidic polystyrene based resins are not very suitable for use in react ive distillation column as well as for temperatures greater than 393 K . To overcome these problems porous silica has been coated with diviny lbenzene (DVB) or styrene-DVB and polymerized using azoisobutyronitril e as initiator. Sulfonation of the polymer was carried out by using ch lorosulfonic acid. Thus acidic polymeric material of exchange capacity of up to 0.41 meq/g has been obtained, in convenient size of 2-5 mm w hich can be directly used in reactive distillation column as demonstra ted for methylal preparation in this paper and which is also suitable for use up to 433 K, verified by successfully carrying out reaction of phthalic anhydride with 2-ethyl-hexanol. Reusability of this catalyst was also tested by performing the reaction of iso-propyl alcohol with acetic acid.