Synthesis of dimethyl carbonate and propylene glycol by transesterification of propylene carbonate with methanol: Catalyst screening, chemical equilibrium and reaction kinetics

Chemical Engineering Science, Volume 104, 18 December 2013, Pages 347–360
Synthesis of dimethyl carbonate and propylene glycol by transesterification of propylene carbonate with methanol: Catalyst screening, chemical equilibrium and reaction kinetics
Johannes Holtbruegge (a), Mathias Leimbrink (a), Philip Lutze (a), Andrzej Górak (a), (b)
a TU Dortmund University, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, Laboratory of Fluid Separations, Emil-Figge-Strasse 70, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany
b Lodz Technical University, Department of Environmental and Process Engineering, Department of Heat and Mass Transfer, ul. Wólczańska 213, PL-90924 Lodz, Poland
Abstract
Researchers explored the transesterification of propylene carbonate with methanol to form dimethyl carbonate and propylene glycol in preparation for integrating this reaction into a reactive distillation column.
Identification of suitable catalysts matching the operating window of a reactive distillation column is critical for process design. Authors present a screening of nine heterogeneous and two homogeneous catalysts to identify a suitable catalyst for this reaction. They then examine the chemical equilibrium and reaction kinetics, using an approach which combines the experimental and the theoretical.
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