Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Homogeneous Esterification
of Acetic Acid with Isoamyl
Alcohol
M. DUQUE-BERNAL,1 J. D. QUINTERO-ARIAS,1 W. OSORIO-VIANA,1 I. DOBROSZ-GÓMEZ,2
J. FONTALVO,1 M. Á. GÓMEZ-GARCÍA1
1
Grupo de Investigación en Aplicación de Nuevas Tecnologı́as, Laboratorio de Intensificación de Procesos y Sistemas Hı́bridos,
Departamento de Ingenierı́a Quı́mica, Facultad de Ingenierı́a y Arquitectura, Universidad Nacional de Colombia—Sede
Manizales, Cra 27 No. 64-60, Manizales, Apartado Aéreo 127, Colombia
2
Grupo de Investigación en Aplicación de Nuevas Tecnologı́as, Laboratorio de Intensificación de Procesos y Sistemas Hı́bridos,
Departamento de Fı́sica y Quı́mica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia—Sede
Manizales, Cra 27 No. 64-60, Manizales, Apartado Aéreo 127, Colombia
Received 23 January 2012; revised 16 April 2012; accepted 16 April 2012
DOI 10.1002/kin.20737
Published online 20 November 2012 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com).
ABSTRACT: The liquid-phase esterification of acetic acid and isoamyl alcohol has been studied
to develop a kinetic model using a sequential experimental design based on the divergence
criterion. Data come from batch reactor experiments, performed in the temperature range
of 316–363 K. Discrimination among 36 possible kinetic models, written in terms of activity,
mole fractions, and molar densities, is possible through the deviance information criterion, as
estimated by a Markov chain Monte Carlo technique. The obtained results indicate a negligible
heat of reaction and a clear autocatalytic effect of acetic acid on the esterification rate.
C 2012
In this study, a sequential experimental design values of acidity, as a function of time, were collected
has been used to develop a kinetic model in the in each experimental run.
temperature range of 316–363 K. Following a literature Some samples were also analyzed by gas chro-
survey on models used for similar esterification reac- matography equipped with a flame ionization detector
tions, a total of 36 kinetic models were fitted and com- (FID), and no quantifiable peaks of other substances
pared in statistical terms using a Bayesian approach. were found. However, the formation of isoamyl acetate
This involved the exploration of the a posteriori proba- was confirmed due to the consumption of acetic acid
bility distribution of model parameters using a Markov and isoamyl alcohol. Hence, no secondary reactions
chain Monte Carlo technique developed by Laine et al. are considered in this study.
[8,9]. A similar technique has been used by other au- Six experimental runs were conducted with this ex-
thors to assess parameter uncertainty in a kinetic model perimental setup, at which the temperature and the
for the esterification of both neopentyl glycol and pro- initial alcohol to acid molar ratio were varied (see
pionic acid [10]. Here, we use it to discriminate the Table I). The first four runs (R1–R4) were distributed
best among all 36 kinetic models considered. according to a preliminary 22 factorial design, whereas
conditions for the last two experimental runs (R5 and
R6) were chosen to maximize the divergence criterion
among those models that so far had given a better fit in
EXPERIMENTAL a preliminary regression using data from R1 to R4. Ex-
perimental data are presented in Fig. 1. The divergence
Reaction experiments were carried out during ca. 58– criterion in sequential experimental designs allows a
309 h (runs of different periods) in a magnetically better model discrimination with a reduced number of
stirred batch reactor with a temperature jacket and a experimental runs [11].
reflux condenser. The temperature of the jacket was
fixed to the desired value, and the current temperature
of the reaction mixture was controlled using thermo-
couple.
MATHEMATICAL MODELING
First, the cold reactor was loaded with glacial acetic
acid (Panreac) and heated to the reaction temperature
Kinetic Models for the Esterification
through the jacket; preheated synthesis-grade isoamyl
Reaction
alcohol (Merck) was then added to the reactor. Reagent The esterification reaction of acetic acid with isoamyl
masses were noted with a precision of 0.2 g and were alcohol is an equilibrium-limited chemical reaction:
chosen to fill a volume of approximately 120 mL. Sam-
ples of 0.4–0.5 mL (20–60 per experimental run) were CH3 COOH + (CH3 )2 CHCH2 CH2 OH
taken through a stainless steel needle, attached to 1-mL
disposable syringes. They were stored in ice and ana- ↔ CH3 COOCH2 CH2 CH(CH3 )2 + H2 O
lyzed three times by automatic titration with standard-
ized 0.1 N NaOH to find the mass fraction of acetic Although the mechanism of such reactions is well
acid, hereafter called acidity. Thus, the experimental known [12], a literature survey shows that different
70
60
50
R5
Acidity, %
40 R1
R3
30
20
R2
10
R6
R4
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
Reaction time, h
Figure 1 Experimental data for the homogeneous esterification of acetic acid with isoamyl alcohol.
Table II List of Kinetic Models for the Homogeneous Esterification Reaction Obtained as Variations from Parameters
in Eq. (1)
−
→
Models Keq α Adjustable Parameters ( θ )
M1x, M1a, M1c Wyczesany’s correlation [22] 0 ln k0 (T0 )
M2x, M2a, M2c 0.5 ln k0 (T0 );Ea
M3x, M3a, M3c 1.0 ln k0 (T0 );Ea
M4x, M4a, M4c Adjustable Ea
M5x, M5a, M5c Eq. (3) (adjustable) 0 ln k0 (T0 );Ea ; ln Keq (T0 );Hrxn
M6x, M6a, M6c 0.5 ln k0 (T0 );Ea ; ln Keq (T0 );Hrxn
M7x, M7a, M7c 1.0 ln k0 (T0 );Ea ; ln Keq (T0 );Hrxn
M8x, M8a, M8c Adjustable ln k0 (T0 );Ea ; ln Keq (T0 );Hrxn ; ln α
M9x, M9a, M9c Adjustable and independent of T 0 ln k0 (T0 );Ea ; ln Keq
M10x, M10a, M10c 0.5 ln k0 (T0 );Ea ; ln Keq
M11x, M11a, M11c 1.0 ln k0 (T0 );Ea ; ln Keq
M12x, M12a, M12c Adjustable ln k0 (T0 );Ea ; ln Keq ; ln α
Models M1x to M12x use mole fractions as concentration variables, whereas models M1a to M12a use an NRTL activity coefficient model
(see the Appendix), and models M1c to M12c use molar densities in mol/L.
the rate of reaction between acetic acid and isoamyl that only runs R3 and R4 were performed near to the
alcohol. chemical equilibrium. As stated before, thermochem-
ical data are inadequate to estimate such parameter
Objective Function in esterifications [22]. However, using the information
of other studies on similar esterifications reactions of
Using the observed values of acidity as a function of
acetic and lactic acid with alcohols of 1–5 carbon atoms
time,yobs (t), collected in six experimental runs, a re-
[15,16,18–22,25], it was found that a Gaussian prior
gression analysis was made for each model presented
with mean 1 and standard deviation of 20 kJ/mol can
in Table II. In a Bayesian approach, the a posteriori
be assigned to the heat of reaction. Hence, the sum of
probability of the adjustable parameter vector θ in
squares on the prior is given by Eq. (6).
model Mj was evaluated [23]. Assuming a normally
distributed error for acidity and assigning a Gaussian ⎧
⎪0
prior to the estimated parameters, this probability is ⎪
⎪
⎪
⎪ ifHrxn is not a model parameter
given by Eq. (4) [24]: ⎪
⎨
Sprior (θ ) = 1 Hrxn 2 (6)
p(θ |
yobs , Mj ) = constant ⎪
⎪
⎪
⎪
⎪
⎪ 2 20 kJ/mol
× exp(−[SData (θ ) + SPrior (θ )]) (4) ⎩
ifHrxn is a model parameter
where SData (θ ) and SPrior (θ ) represent the sum of The a posteriori probability distribution of param-
squares on the data and on the prior, respectively. If eters, as given by Eqs. (4)–(6) may be sampled by
additionally it is assumed that the error on acidity data means of Monte Carlo Methods [24]. It is also useful
follows a normal probability distribution with standard to have a log-likelihood function which minimization
relative deviation σrel = 0, 016 (as inferred from ex- gives the maximum likelihood estimates of fitted pa-
perimental data), the sum of squares on the data can be rameters. This function is a sum of squares as given by
written as in Eq. (5): Eq. (7).
2
1 yobs,u − ycalc,u (θ) LML (θ ) = SData (θ ) + Sprior (θ )
N
(7)
SData (θ ) = 2
(5)
2σrel u=1
yobs,u
Regression Algorithm
where ycalc,u denotes the calculated values for acidity
using a given model, yobs,u corresponds to the measured Initially, each set of model parameters was sepa-
value of acidity, and the sum goes along the values of rately fitted minimizing Eq. (7) with the Levenberg–
all experimental runs for one given model. Marquardt algorithm. Then, the models were linearized
The collected data in this study allow the use of a around the minimum to evaluate the marginal confi-
noninformative prior on all model parameters, except dence intervals and covariance matrix for parameters
for the heat of reaction. The latter is due to the fact on each model [11]. However, this approach presents
the following two difficulties: (1) There is no warranty been performed and the corresponding goodness-of-fit
that a global minimum has been found and (2) the statistics have been computed. Table III lists all con-
linearization may lead to under- or overestimated confi- sidered models, where the most appropriate ones are in
dence intervals [26]. Thus, the parameter values found bold. To illustrate how models provide a better fit, par-
in this way were taken as initial values in a Markov ity plots for acidity are provided in Fig. 2. It should be
chain Monte Carlo sampling [23] of Eq. (4) using a noticed that there are no intermediate values of acidity
delayed rejection adaptive Monte Carlo (DRAM) al- available in these plots, since reactions were launched
gorithm. Computations were made in the free MatLab either with excess isoamyl alcohol or excess acetic
toolbox DRAM mcmcstat [27]. A separate Markov acid, but no stoichiometric feed was used.
chain was launched for each model, and its conver-
gence was each time verified by Geweke’s criterion.
The resulting Markov chains were used to evaluate Analysis and Model Selection
the deviance information criterion (DIC) applied for
model comparison [28]. Upon repetition of compu- Regarding the equilibrium constant, the DIC values in
tations, the change in the estimated DIC was below Table III show that the most probable models are those
2%, which also indicates convergence of the Markov obtained using Eq. (3). However, their DIC values are
chains. comparable to those models at which a temperature
independent equilibrium constant has been assumed.
In particular, the DIC values, which have been es-
Criteria for Model Comparison timated within a 2% margin of uncertainty, indicate
models M8x and M12x as equally probable given the
It is a usual practice in kinetic studies to use the corre-
evidence of the experimental data. Both models are
lation coefficient or the value of an objective function
written in terms of mole fractions, and the only differ-
criterion for model selection. However, such goodness-
ence between them is the assumption of a negligible
of-fit statistics suffers from the drawback of overcor-
heat of reaction in model M12x, which is adjustable
relation, since complex models are more prone to fit
in model M8x. The collected data do not reject the
the experimental data [26]. The DIC statistic does not
hypothesis of a temperature independent equilibrium
suffer from this drawback, but its calculation is com-
constant for the temperature interval of 313–363 K.
putationally intensive. A simple statistic that accounts
We believe that this could be related to the fact that ex-
for the number of adjustable parameters is the ad-
perimental runs at low temperatures were not allowed
justed correlation coefficient, which is a modification
to reach the state of chemical equilibrium (it is esti-
of the correlation coefficient raj2 [29]. In this study, a
mated that this would have taken more than 50 days).
linear relationship between the smallest adjusted cor-
Consequently, the information is insufficient to either
relation coefficient per experimental run and the DIC
confirm or reject the hypothesis of a negligible heat of
was found. Therefore, for each model, an adjusted cor-
reaction.
relation coefficient was computed with the individual
Here, the list of 36 models has been reduced to two
data of each experimental run and the smallest of the
alternatives (M8x and M12x). Further experiments can
obtained values was taken as the model correlation co-
be conducted to make the final choice. However, since a
efficient. Such a linear relationship suggests that the
commonly accepted assumption in the literature is that
smallest raj2 value can be used for further studies as a
of a negligible heat of reaction, we apply Ockham’s
goodness-of-fit statistic during the stages of sequential
rule to select model M12x as the rate law expression.
experimental design, where it is not practical to launch
time-consuming computations to estimate DIC values.
It should be warned that when an experimental run is Model Parameters for the Chosen Model
subject of great systematic error, its corresponding raj2
value for each model can be too low, and this may Hypothesis tests on the Markov chain indicate that the
render the statistic inadequate for model comparison. probability distribution of model M12x parameters, as
obtained by the DRAM algorithm, is unimodal and
approximately Gaussian. This means that the com-
plete information about model parameters is speci-
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
fied by their mean values (Table IV) and marginal a
posteriori distribution plots (Fig. 3). Correlation coef-
Goodness-of-Fit Statistics
ficients among pairs of variables, computed from the
Using the algorithm proposed in the preceding, inde- estimated covariance matrix, indicate that the only rel-
pendent regressions for the 36 considered models have evant correlation is between ln k0 and ln α (correlation
Table III Goodness of Fit Statistics for the Homogeneous Rate of Reaction Modelsa
Number of LML Run with
Type Model Keq α Parameters [Eq. (7)] 2
Lowest raj 2
Lowest raj DIC
Kinetic law with activity M1a Ref. [22] 0 2 25183.8 1 −0.1274 5.933
as concentration M2a 0.5 2 9821.7 1 0.5356 2.296
variable M3a 1 2 2171.4 5 0.8897 0.510
M4a α 3 538.2 5 0.9763 0.125
M5a Eq. (3) 0 4 17624.7 1 0.0310 4.100
M6a 0.5 4 9245.6 1 0.4790 2.165
M7a 1 4 2097.4 1 0.8977 0.488
M8a α 5 334.7 5 0.9870 0.078
M9a Keq 0 3 22540.4 1 −0.1785 5.242
M10a 0.5 3 9403.9 1 0.5080 2.217
M11a 1 3 2124.7 5 0.8930 0.497
M12a α 4 335.7 5 0.9866 0.079
Kinetic law with M1x Ref. [22] 0 2 26013.7 3 −0.2307 6.178
mole fraction as M2x 0.5 2 8436.7 3 0.5693 2.003
concentration variable M3x 1 2 951.8 3 0.9414 0.219
M4x α 3 307.3 3 0.9829 0.072
M5x Eq. (3) 0 4 15067.2 1 0.2800 3.488
M6x 0.5 4 6651.3 1 0.6504 1.560
M7x 1 4 779.3 5 0.9568 0.178
M8x α 5 237.3 5 0.9895 0.056
M9x Keq 0 3 19948.4 1 −0.0068 4.641
M10x 0.5 3 6874.7 1 0.6570 1.618
M11x 1 3 798.9 5 0.9493 0.184
M12x α 4 239.1 5 0.9882 0.057
Kinetic law with molar M1c Ref. [22] 0 2 14246.1 3 0.3575 3.340
density (mol/L) as M2c 0.5 2 2056.3 3 0.9197 0.477
concentration variable M3c 1 2 2529.5 1 0.8219 0.580
M4c α 3 1002.6 1 0.9753 0.231
M5c Eq. (3) 0 4 8613.1 1 0.5649 2.006
M6c 0.5 4 1056.3 3 0.9631 0.246
M7c 1 4 1364.6 1 0.9197 0.313
M8c α 5 321.2 5 0.9874 0.076
M9c Keq 0 3 9971.6 1 0.5596 2.327
M10c 0.5 3 1058.4 3 0.9637 0.246
M11c 1 3 1731.1 5 0.9871 0.398
M12c α 4 330.7 6 0.9903 0.078
a
The models presenting the best adjusted correlation coefficient are in bold.
60 Model M8a
Model M8x
Calculated acidity (%)
50 Model M8c
40
30
20
10
10 20 30 40 50 60
Measured acidity (%)
Figure 2 Parity plots for acidity with all 36 kinetic models (left) and with three of the most likely models according to the
DIC (right).
ln [k 0 (T 0 )] Ea
ln [Keq] ln [α]
Table A.1 NRTL Activity Coefficient Model Parameters for the Esterification Reaction Mixture
Component i
Component j
Coefficient Acetic Acid Isoamyl Alcohol Isoamyl Acetate Isoamyl Alcohol Isoamyl Acetate Isoamyl Acetate
aij 3.3293 1.5598 0.3194 0.4521 −0.6992 2.3508
aji −1.9763 −1.0959 −2.5596 1.1307 0.0741 2.8102
bij −723.8881 1096.2001 1180.3569 −335.922 74.071 −1157.9764
bji 609.8886 166.2337 996.9415 −53.1049 440.9815 −794.0254
cij 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3
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