The production of ethyl acetate
There are various methods for preparing ethyl acetate. First, acetic acid and ethanol can be co-placed in a kettle, sulfuric acid is added as a catalyst, and warm fire is added to make the phase combine. The reaction formula is: $CH_ {3} COOH + C_ {2} H_ {5} OH\ underset {\ Delta} {\ overset {H_ {2} SO_ {4}} {\ rightleftharpoons}} CH_ {3} COOC_ {2} H_ {5} + H_ {2} O $.

For the use of sulfuric acid, it is not only catalytic, and it can absorb water, so that the reaction tends to the right, increasing the yield of ethyl acetate. However, the sulfuric acid is strong, so be careful when using it to prevent it from hurting people, and the separation after the reaction also needs to be done carefully.

There are also those who use ethylene and acetic acid as materials. Make ethylene pass into acetic acid, add a suitable catalyst, such as heteropoly acid, etc. Under a specific temperature and pressure, ethylene can be added to acetic acid to obtain ethyl acetate. This way, the raw materials are easy to obtain, the reaction conditions are relatively mild, and there are few side reactions. The yield is quite high, which is a good method for today.

When preparing, the device design is also crucial. A reaction vessel is required to accommodate the raw materials and catalysts; a condensation tube is required to make the volatilized steam return to a liquid; a separation device is required to separate pure ethyl acetate.

After the reaction is completed, the product is often mixed with unreacted raw materials and by-products. It can be separated by distillation according to the boiling point of each substance. First obtain impurities with low boiling point, followed by ethyl acetate. Then wash with water, alkali wash, dry and other steps to remove impurities and improve the quality, and finally obtain pure ethyl acetate for various purposes, such as the preparation of solvents and fragrances.