APPLIED CATALYSIS A-GENERAL, vol.429, pp.79-84, 2012 (SCI-Expanded)
Kinetic data on the esterification of acetic acid with 1-octanol were obtained from both uncatalyzed and heterogeneously catalyzed reactions using a stirred batch reactor in toluene. The equilibrium constant, K-C, which is independent of temperature ranging from 333 to 358K, was found to be 60.7. The uncatalyzed reaction was proved to be a second-order reversible reaction. In the presence of Amberlyst 36, the reaction was found to follow the Eley-Rideal mechanism, and the surface reaction is a rate-limiting step. From this model, the reaction rate can be given by the expression: