A microwave applicator with a 2.45-GHz magnetron generator, which provides 460 W of output
power, and waveguides to a stirred-tank reactor with a full volume of 500 mL was designed.
The microwave reactor operates at high pressure and high temperature. Esterification of benzoic
acid with 2-ethylhexanol was chosen as the model reaction. The esterification was homogeneously
catalyzed with sulfuric acid and para-toluene sulfonic acid. As heterogeneous catalysts, Cs2.5H0.5PW12O40, sulfated ZrO2, Fe2(SO4)3, and montmorillonite KSF were used. For the same operating
conditions, the rate of esterification was concluded to be the same in both the microwave reactor
and conventional experimental setups. The results show that homogeneous catalysts are more
effective than heterogeneous catalysts. Fe2(SO4)3 was the most effective catalyst among the solid
catalysts tested. The conversions in the microwave stirred-tank reactor were in agreement with
the conversions predicted on the basis of the kinetic parameters obtained under conventional
heating. High-pressure and high-temperature operating conditions allowed the reaction rate of
esterification to be greatly increased.
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