Reactive & Functional Polymers, Vol.34, No.1, 37-45, 1997
Acetalization of ethylene glycol with formaldehyde using cation-exchange resins as catalysts: batch versus reactive distillation
1,3-Dioxolane was prepared from ethylene glycol and formaldehyde in the presence of a cation-exchange resin. The reaction was studied in batch mode, semi-batch reactive distillation mode and in a continuous reactive distillation column. A pseudohomogeneous model explains the batch kinetics. Higher than 98% conversion of formaldehyde was achieved in semi-batch reactive distillation. Recovery of ethylene glycol from aqueous solutions via reaction with solid paraformaldehyde in a semi-batch reactive distillation mode was also studied.