Kinetics of the vapour phase oxidation of ethyl alcohol on vanadium pentoxide catalyst

Abstract

The kinetics of VIOs-catalysed vapour phase oxidation of ethyl alcohol were studied with the help of a differential fixed-bed flow reactor. The partial pressures of alcohol, oxygen and water were varied in the ranges: 6-10 x atm, 1-lox lo-' atm, and 0-169 x atm respectively in the temperature range 228-264 "C. The rate equation : 2k&nPo,Pn r = knpn -+ 2 k~0 , ' deduced by the assumptions of the steady-state redox mechanism, was found to conform to the experimental results. The energies of activation for the partial reactions, namely reduction and oxidation of the catalyst, were found to be 18.9 and 11.8 kcal/mol. The influence of different products was also studied in detail.