Kinetic behavior of amyl acetate synthesis catalyzed by acidic cation exchange resin

The kinetic behavior of heterogeneous esterification of acetic acid with am yl alcohol was investigated at temperatures from 303.15 K to 353.15 K over an acidic cation exchange resin catalyst, Amberlyst 15. The kinetic data we re correlated by a quasi-homogeneous model with which the apparent rate con stants at each reaction temperature were determined. The activation energie s of the forward and the backward reactions were found to be 51.74 kJ.mol(- 1) and 45.28 kJ.mol(-1), respectively. As evidenced from experimental resul ts, the equilibrium conversion of acetic acid and the apparent equilibrium constant increase with increasing temperature, implying that the esterifica tion is endothermic.