Synthesis of Ethyl Acetate by Esterification

1. Introduction
The technique of chemical engineering is related to people's livelihood and national plans, and is particularly important in the production of products. In the synthesis of ethyl acetate, there are many methods, and the method of esterification is quite commonly used, and the effect is remarkable.

2. Preparation of raw materials
To make an esterification method to make ethyl acetate, acetic acid and ethanol are necessary as raw materials. Acetic acid is active and has the general nature of acid; ethanol is a common alcohol, both of which are the basis for synthesis. And a catalyst is required. Sulfuric acid is often the first choice, which can promote the speed of the reaction and make the synthesis more efficient.

III. REACTION PRINCIPLE
The esterification reaction is a chemical reaction between acetic acid and ethanol under the action of catalyst sulfuric acid. During the process, the carboxyl group of acetic acid interacts with the hydroxyl group of ethanol to remove a molecule of water and form ethyl acetate. This reaction follows the principle of chemical equilibrium and is a reversible reaction. To make the reaction proceed in the direction of forming ethyl acetate, it is often necessary to increase the concentration of the reactants or remove the products in time to break the equilibrium and promote the progress of the reaction.

IV. Experimental steps
1. In the reaction vessel of Jiejing, take acetic acid and ethanol in a certain ratio and slowly inject them into it.
2. Subsequently, an appropriate amount of sulfuric acid catalyst is slowly added along the wall of the vessel, while stirring continuously to make the mixture uniform. This process requires careful operation, because sulfuric acid is highly corrosive and exothermic when mixed.
3. Install a reaction instrument and build a reflux device to ensure full contact and reaction between the reactants and products during the reaction process, and to prevent the volatile loss of the reactants and products.
4. Slowly heat the reaction vessel and control the temperature to a suitable range. If the temperature is too high, it is easy to cause side reactions to occur; if the temperature is too low, the reaction rate is too slow.
5. After the reaction lasts for a certain period of time, observe the reaction phenomenon. When the reaction is completed, stop heating.

5. After the product separation and purification
reaction is completed, the resulting mixture contains unreacted impurities such as acetic acid, ethanol, and catalyst sulfuric acid in addition to ethyl acetate. Therefore, separation and purification are required.
1. First, the method of liquid separation is used to separate the impurities such as sulfuric acid in the lower layer. Because the density of ethyl acetate is less than that of water and it is insoluble in water, it floats on the upper layer.
2. Next, the upper organic phase is washed with a saturated sodium carbonate solution to remove the residual acetic acid and reduce the solubility of ethyl acetate, which is conducive to stratification.
3. After liquid separation again, the organic phase is dried with a desiccant such as anhydrous magnesium sulfate to remove the residual moisture.
4. Finally, the distillation method is used to collect the fractions in a specific temperature range to obtain pure ethyl acetate.

6. Conclusion
Ethyl acetate is synthesized by esterification. Although the steps are complicated, the process is mature. By precisely controlling the reaction conditions and properly separating and purifying the product, high-purity ethyl acetate can be obtained. This synthesis method is widely used in the chemical industry and is of great significance to the development of related fields.