Etherification of Ethanol and iso -Propanol with iso -Butylene Over Sulfonic Resin Catalysts of Various Morphology

It was established that the “turnover frequency” of the etherification reactions of ethanol and iso-propanol with iso-butylene depends on the morphology of the sulfonic resin catalysts which determines the accessibility of the acid sites to the reagents. It was found that the morphology of the sulfonic resins has a stronger effect than ethanol on their activity in the etherification of iso-propanol. With improved accessibility of the acid site the predominant factors influencing the formation rate of the ethers are the basicity, polarity, and size of the reagent molecules.