Esterification
Commodity acetates
Acetate esters with an alkyl group C1 to C4 are considered as commodity chemicals.
Ethyl acetate and n-butyl acetate are the major volume products. The biggest producers are BP Amoco and Celanese, followed by Eastman Chemical.
Acetate esters, except methyl acetate, are marketed primarily as solvents for surface coatings, inks and chemical processing. Methyl acetate is used in the United States as a chemical intermediate to produce acetic anhydride.
The traditional method of acetate production is by esterification of acetic acid with alcohol in the presence of sulfuric acid or sulfonic acid catalyst. However, utilization of sulphonic acid resin catalysts as the replacement for liquid acids is gaining importance.
Synthesis of n-butyl acetate by direct esterification

|
Recommended Catalyst
For sampling, pricing and availability of AMBERLYSTT catalysts please contact your Rohm and Haas sales representative.
Further Reading
|
