ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Vapour-phase condensation of methyl propionate with trioxane over alumina-supported potassium catalyst

Wei-You Zhou, Yong Chen, Yu-Fa Feng, Ming-Yang He, and Qun Chen

Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Technology, Changzhou University, Changzhou, China

E-mail: hemy cczu@126.com

Abstract: Alumina-supported potassium (K/Al₂O₃) catalysts using pseudo-boehmite as the precursor were prepared by the impregnation/calcination method, characterised by XRD, SEM, ICP, N₂ adsorption/desorption, CO₂-TPD methods and TG analysis, and applied to the vapour-phase condensation of methyl propionate with trioxane to produce methyl methacrylate. The results showed the catalysts’ properties to be mainly affected by the calcined temperature (T_C) and the crystal structure. The sample calcined at 1100°C exhibited the highest catalytic activity when mixed phases were formed and provided the appropriate specific surface area (S_BET) and surface basic properties. The effects of T_C, K-loading and reaction conditions on the catalytic performance were also investigated in a fixed-bed reactor. The yield of methyl methacrylate attained 29.2 % under the optimised conditions, and the deactivated catalyst could be completely regenerated by calcination.

Keywords: pseudo-boehmite – methyl methacrylate – potassium – calcined temperature – condensation

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1515/chempap-2016-0076

Chemical Papers 70 (11) 1471–1478 (2016)