Kinetics and Modeling Study on Etherification of Glycerol Using Isobutylene by in Situ Production from tert-Butyl Alcohol

Experimental results on the etherification of glycerol by isobutylene using Indion-130 catalyst are presented. Experiments were carried out at five different temperatures between 45 and 85 °C in an autoclave with mechanical stirring. Isobutylene was produced in situ from tert-butyl alcohol in another autoclave connected in series. Experiments were conducted for a duration of 24 h with sample collection (for analysis) every 2 h. Samples were analyzed by gas chromatography for monitoring mono-, di-, and tri-tert-butyl glycerol ethers (MTBG, DTBG, and TTBG). The studies reveal that the optimal temperature for maximum production of DTBG is 55 °C. A multilump kinetic model has been developed, and global rate constants have been evaluated.