HYDROGENATION OF DIETHYL ADIPATE IN A CATALYTIC FIXED-BED REACTOR

The vapor phase hydrogenation of diethyl adipate (DEA) was investigate d using a copper chromite catalyst in a fixed-bed reactor over the tem perature range of 523 to 563 K. The various products obtained during t he hydrogenation reaction were identified by gas chromatography/mass s pectroscopy (GC/MS) and quantified by GC. Under the conditions of the present work, the major products identified were 1,6-hexanediol, oxepa ne, and omega-hydroxyethyl caproate. The combined effects of reaction temperature, hydrogen pressure, and contact time on both the conversio n of DEA and the selectivity to the main reaction products and various byproducts were also studied. The intrinsic kinetics of this hydrogen ation were also investigated, and a suitable reaction rate equation ba sed on a single-site Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism was used to interp ret the integral reactor performance data. The kinetic rate equation c onstants were determined by nonlinear parameter estimation using the i ntegral reactor data as the basis. The predicted concentrations of var ious components agreed with the experimental data within +/-7% over a reasonable range of experimental reaction conditions.