Kinetic and process analysis of continuous catalytic distillation for high-purity propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate production

doi:10.1016/j.cjche.2025.08.002

中国化学工程学报 ›› 2025, Vol. 86 ›› Issue (10): 200-210.DOI: 10.1016/j.cjche.2025.08.002

• Special Issue on Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the School of Chemical Engineering and Technology of Tianjin University • 上一篇下一篇

Kinetic and process analysis of continuous catalytic distillation for high-purity propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate production

Qinglian Wang^1,2, Dingbang Zhao¹, Huaifang Li¹, Xin Gao³, Weifeng Shen⁴, Chen Yang^1,2, Changshen Ye^1,2, Ting Qiu^1,2

1. State Key Laboratory of Green and Efficient Development of Phosphorus Resources, Fuzhou University International Joint Laboratory of Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass, Fujian Universities Engineering Research Center of Reactive Distillation Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China;
2. Qingyuan Innovation Laboratory, Quanzhou 362801, China;
3. School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, National Engineering Research Center of Distillation Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China;
4. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China

收稿日期:2025-03-26 修回日期:2025-05-30 接受日期:2025-08-01 出版日期:2025-10-28 发布日期:2025-08-07
通讯作者: Changshen Ye,E-mail:fzycsyrfyq@fzu.edu.cn;Ting Qiu,E-mail:tingqiu@fzu.edu.cn
基金资助:
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22378065, 22278077 and 22278076), the Key Program of Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province of China (2022J02019).

Kinetic and process analysis of continuous catalytic distillation for high-purity propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate production

Qinglian Wang^1,2, Dingbang Zhao¹, Huaifang Li¹, Xin Gao³, Weifeng Shen⁴, Chen Yang^1,2, Changshen Ye^1,2, Ting Qiu^1,2

1. State Key Laboratory of Green and Efficient Development of Phosphorus Resources, Fuzhou University International Joint Laboratory of Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass, Fujian Universities Engineering Research Center of Reactive Distillation Technology, College of Chemical Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China;
2. Qingyuan Innovation Laboratory, Quanzhou 362801, China;
3. School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, National Engineering Research Center of Distillation Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China;
4. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China

Received:2025-03-26 Revised:2025-05-30 Accepted:2025-08-01 Online:2025-10-28 Published:2025-08-07
Contact: Changshen Ye,E-mail:fzycsyrfyq@fzu.edu.cn;Ting Qiu,E-mail:tingqiu@fzu.edu.cn
Supported by:
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22378065, 22278077 and 22278076), the Key Program of Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province of China (2022J02019).

摘要/Abstract

摘要： The production of high-purity propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate (PMA) through the transesterification of propylene glycol monomethyl ether (PM) and methyl acetate (MeOAc) is traditionally catalyzed by sodium methoxide. However, the practical application of this method is significantly hindered by the inherent limitations of sodium methoxide, such as its high sensitivity to moisture and propensity for solid precipitation, which impede its effective use in continuous processes. This work proposed a continuous catalytic distillation (CD) process utilizing Amberlyst 15 cation exchange resin as the catalyst. A comprehensive series of reaction kinetic and CD experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed process. The results demonstrate that under the optimal operating conditions, namely an ester-to-ether molar ratio of 6:1, a reflux ratio of 5:1, a total feed rate of 0.92 g·min^-1, and an evaporation rate of 266.47 m³·m^-2·h^-1, the conversion rate of PM achieves 99.95%, and the PMA yield is 97.31%. Based on these findings, a process flowsheet for a continuous CD process tailored for the production of electronic-grade PMA is presented. This design incorporates light and heavy removal steps to ensure the production of PMA with a purity of 99.99%. Additionally, the process utilizes pressure swing distillation to recover MeOAc, thereby enhancing the overall efficiency and sustainability of the production process. The proposed continuous CD process offers a highly efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable solution for the production of electronic-grade PMA.

关键词: Propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, Reactive distillation, Catalyst, Kinetic, Electronic-grade

Abstract: The production of high-purity propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate (PMA) through the transesterification of propylene glycol monomethyl ether (PM) and methyl acetate (MeOAc) is traditionally catalyzed by sodium methoxide. However, the practical application of this method is significantly hindered by the inherent limitations of sodium methoxide, such as its high sensitivity to moisture and propensity for solid precipitation, which impede its effective use in continuous processes. This work proposed a continuous catalytic distillation (CD) process utilizing Amberlyst 15 cation exchange resin as the catalyst. A comprehensive series of reaction kinetic and CD experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed process. The results demonstrate that under the optimal operating conditions, namely an ester-to-ether molar ratio of 6:1, a reflux ratio of 5:1, a total feed rate of 0.92 g·min^-1, and an evaporation rate of 266.47 m³·m^-2·h^-1, the conversion rate of PM achieves 99.95%, and the PMA yield is 97.31%. Based on these findings, a process flowsheet for a continuous CD process tailored for the production of electronic-grade PMA is presented. This design incorporates light and heavy removal steps to ensure the production of PMA with a purity of 99.99%. Additionally, the process utilizes pressure swing distillation to recover MeOAc, thereby enhancing the overall efficiency and sustainability of the production process. The proposed continuous CD process offers a highly efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable solution for the production of electronic-grade PMA.

Key words: Propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, Reactive distillation, Catalyst, Kinetic, Electronic-grade

Qinglian Wang, Dingbang Zhao, Huaifang Li, Xin Gao, Weifeng Shen, Chen Yang, Changshen Ye, Ting Qiu. Kinetic and process analysis of continuous catalytic distillation for high-purity propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate production[J]. 中国化学工程学报, 2025, 86(10): 200-210.

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Kinetic and process analysis of continuous catalytic distillation for high-purity propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate production

Kinetic and process analysis of continuous catalytic distillation for high-purity propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate production

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