The main method to manufacture ethyl acetate involves the esterification of ethanol with acetic acid although some is produced by the catalytic condensation of acetaldehyde with alkoxides. Solutia obtains ethyl acetate as a coproduct in production of polyvinyl alcohol, which the company uses captively in the manufacture of polyvinyl butyral.
In the main esterification process, a mixture of acetic acid and ethanol with a small amount of sulphuric acid is preheated and fed to an esterifying column where it is refluxed. The mixture removed goes to a second refluxing column where a ternary azeotrope containing 85% ethyl acetate is removed.
Water is mixed with the distillate after which it separates into two layers. The top layer is fed to a refluxing column from which the residue containing 95% ethyl acetate is distilled to remove any impurities.
A number of new technologies have been commercialised. In its 220,000 tonnes/year plant at Hull, BP employs a process that uses ethylene and acetic acid with a solid acid catalyst. This process, called Avada, is targeted at locations where competitive ethanol is not available for esterification.
Kvaerner's new process, which only uses an ethanol feedstock, has been employed by Sasol in a 50,000 tonnes/year plant at Secunda, South Africa. Here, the ethanol is dehydrogenated to acetaldehyde which further reacts to form ethyl acetate.
Chinese National Petroleum has developed a one-step ethanol process where the ethanol is partially oxidised to acetic acid and subsequently esterified with excess ethanol.
Ethyl acetate
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Ethyl acetate
Uses and Outlook
Ethyl acetate is used in a variety of coating formulations such as epoxies, urethanes, cellulosics, acrylics and vinyls. Applications for these coatings are numerous including wood furniture and fixtures, agricultural, construction and mining equipment, auto refinishing, and maintenance and marine uses.
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