KINETICS OF CATALYTIC DEHYDRATION OF 1-PENTANOL

Kinetic data of 1-pentanol dehydration on gamma-alumina catalyst modif ied by potassium hydroxide were obtained using a continuous reactor wi th an internal recirculation. The conversion of 1-pentanol on this cat alyst in the temperature range 300 - 390-degrees-C and space velocity 1 - 8 kg (h kg)-1 (molar fraction of water in the feed was in the rang e 0 - 0.56) was 50 - 98% and the selectivity with respect to 1-pentene was 50 - 84%. The following six reactions have been taken into accoun t to describe the catalytic dehydration of 1-pentanol: direct formatio n of 1-pentene from 1-pentanol, formation of bis(1-pentyl) ether from 1-pentanol, disproportionation of the ether to 1-pentanol and 1-penten e, formation of 1-pentene from the ether, isomerization of 1-pentene t o 2-pentene and hydrolysis of the ether to 1-pentanol. Treatment of ex perimental data by Langmuir-Hinshelwood models showed that the model i nvolving adsorption of 1-pentanol accompanied by dissociation is the m ost suitable one.