Computers & Chemical Engineering, Vol.128, 164-173, 2019
Chromatographic studies of n-Propyl Propionate, Part II: Synthesis in a fixed bed adsorptive reactor, modelling and uncertainties determination
The n-Propyl Propionate (ProPro) is used as solvents for paints and inks, as well as food and perfume additives, generally considered as one of the best environmental option. However, its reaction system presents a complex Vapor Liquid Equilibrium with four azeotropes. Those previous points motivate the development of studies about new production routes for ProPro. In this work, a study of the synthesis of n-Propyl Propionate in a Fixed Bed Adsorptive Reactor packed with Amberlys 46 resin at 313 K is presented. A phenomenological model to represent this process is developed and it is validated through experiments in a lab-scale unit. The characterization of the uncertainties of experiments, parameters and its extension to the model prediction is done. The results showed that the model was able to predict with precision the experiments and the uncertainty analysis allowed a more statistically reliable model prediction. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.