Synthesis of butyl acrylate in a fixed‐bed adsorptive reactor over Amberlyst 15

The butyl acrylate synthesis from the esterification reaction of acrylic acid with 1‐butanol in a fixed‐bed adsorptive reactor packed with Amberlyst 15 ion exchange resin was evaluated. Adsorption experiments were carried out with nonreactive pairs at two temperatures (323 and 363 K). The experimental results were used to obtain multicomponent adsorption equilibrium isotherms of Langmuir type. Reactive adsorption experiments using different feed molar ratios and flow rates were performed, at 363 K, and used to validate a mathematical model developed to describe the dynamic behavior of the fixed‐bed adsorptive reactor for the butyl acrylate synthesis. Due to the simultaneous reaction and separation steps, it was possible to obtain a butyl acrylate maximum concentration 38% higher than the equilibrium concentration (for an equimolar reactants ratio solution as feed at a flow rate of 0.9 mL min^?1 and 363 K) showing that sorption‐enhanced reaction technologies are very promising for butyl acrylate synthesis. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 61: 1263–1274, 2015