Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Direct Synthesis of 1-Butanol from Ethanol in a Plug Flow Reactor: Reactor and Reaction Kinetics Modeling

  • Published:
Topics in Catalysis Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Bio-ethanol is well known for its use as a gasoline additive. However, it can be blended in low portions to traditional gasoline although it has a corrosive nature. By taking advantage of modern continuous reactor technology and heterogeneous alumina catalysts, ethanol can be upgraded to 1-butanol in fixed beds. Butanol has more feasible properties as fuel component in comparison to ethanol. Mathematical modeling of reaction kinetics revealed a simple kinetic model could be used to describe the complex reaction process on a Cu/alumina catalyst. The reaction kinetics model is based on five parallel reactions in which ethanol reacts to 1-butanol, acetealdehyde, ethyl acetate, diethyl ether and diethoxyethane, respectively.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

c:

Concentration (mol/m3)

k:

Rate constant

k0 :

Frequency factor

Ea:

Activation energy (J/mol)

r:

Reaction rate

Q:

Sum of squares

R:

Component generation rate

R:

Gas constant in Arrhenius equation 8.314 (J/molK)

T:

Temperature (K)

\( \bar{T} \) :

Mean temperature of experiments (K)

ρB :

Catalyst bulk density (cm3/gcat)

τ:

Residence time (min)

i:

Component index

j:

Reaction index

References

  1. Carvalho DL, de Avillez RR, Rodrigues MT, Borges LEP, Apple LG (2012) Mg and Al mixed oxides and the synthesis of n-butanol from ethanol. Appl Catal A 415–416:96–100

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Marcu I-C, Tichit D, Fajula F, Tanchoux N (2009) Catalytic valorization of bioethanol over Cu–Mg–Al mixed oxide catalysts. Catal Today 147:231–238

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Leon M, Diaz E, Ordonez S (2011) Ethanol catalytic condensation over Mg–Al mixed oxides derived from hydrotalcites. Catal Today 164:436–442

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Riittonen T, Arve K, Kordas K, Leino A-R, Madnani DK, Mikkola J-P, Sapi A, Szabo M, Toukoniitty E, Wärnå J (2012) One-pot liquid catalytic conversion of ethanol to 1-butanol over aluminium oxide: the effect of the active metal on the selectivity. Catalysts 2:68

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Modest User’s Guide, Profmath Oy, Helsinki 2002

Download references

Acknowledgments

The work is a part of the activities of Process Chemistry Centre (PCC), a centre of excellence financed by Abo Akademi University, Finland. The Academy of Finland is acknowledged for financial support. In Sweden Bio4Energy and Kempe foundation are acknowledged for financial support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Process Chemistry Centre, Åbo Akademi University, 20500, Turku, Finland

    T. Riittonen, T. Salmi & J. Wärnå

  2. Chemical-Biological Center, Technical Chemistry, Umeå University, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden

    J.-P. Mikkola & J. Wärnå

Authors
  1. T. Riittonen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. T. Salmi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J.-P. Mikkola
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J. Wärnå
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Wärnå.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Riittonen, T., Salmi, T., Mikkola, JP. et al. Direct Synthesis of 1-Butanol from Ethanol in a Plug Flow Reactor: Reactor and Reaction Kinetics Modeling. Top Catal 57, 1425–1429 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11244-014-0314-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11244-014-0314-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation