Studies of Polystyrene-based Ion Exchange Fiber. II. A Novel Fiber-form Catalyst for Sucrose Inversion and Methyl Acetate Hydrolysis

Abstract

To obtain a novel acid-base catalyst of high activity and easy treatment, we have prepared polystyrene-based fibrous ion exchange catalysts which have large surface areas per unit of weight and which can be utilized in various forms. They are excellent in chemical stability and mechanical strength due to their composite structures, reinforced with polypropyrene. The reactions of sucrose inversion and methyl acetate hydrolysis were carried out by using these cation exchange fibers and ordinary cation exchange resins. The fiber has about sixteen times as high a catalytic activity per equivalent acid as the resin in the case of sucrose inversion. The intrinsic rate constant in the fiber phase is evaluated to be 2.4 times larger than that in the resin phase in terms of the solid-catalysis theory considering the catalytic effectiveness factor and the absorption coefficient. On the other hand, the catalytic activity per equivalent acid of the fiber is almost equal to that of the resin in the case of methyl acetate hydrolysis. It is suggested that this different behavior is attributable to the different molecular sizes of the reactants.

Chemical Routes for the Transformation of Biomass into Chemicals

“…Nevertheless, to overcome these drawbacks, strong acidic cation-exchange resins with sulfonic groups have been used industrially for hydrolysis of sucrose, operating at relatively low temperatures but generally producing high levels of impurities and the formation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). , Strongly acidic cation exchangers were tested and patented for the hydrolysis of sucrose at 298−343 K, with high conversions (97%) and selectivities close to 97% (48.5% fructose and 48.5% glucose) . In 1984, Yoshioka et al reported the diffusion limitation of conventional resin in carrying out the inversion of sucrose. So, they studied the catalytic activity of polystyrene-based ion-exchange fiber, which presented excellent chemical stability and mechanical strength.…”

“…770,771 Strongly acidic cation exchangers were tested and patented for the hydrolysis of sucrose at 298-343 K, with high conversions (97%) and selectivities close to 97% (48.5% fructose and 48.5% glucose). 772 In 1984, Yoshioka et al 773 reported the diffusion limitation of conventional resin in carrying out the inversion of sucrose. So, they studied the catalytic activity of polystyrene-based ion-exchange fiber, which presented excellent chemical stability and mechanical strength.…”

Acid-Functionalized Amorphous Silica by Chemical Grafting−Quantitative Oxidation of Thiol Groups

“…New heterogeneous catalysts have been developed in order to surmount the separation problem. Ion-exchange resin catalysts have been used in esterification reactions for some years. , Typical resin catalysts are sulfonic acids bonded to a polymer carrier, such as polystyrene cross-linked with divinylbenzene (DVB). Several catalysts of this kind are commercially available, e.g., the Amberlyst family.…”

Hydrolysis of sucrose by radiation grafted sulfonic acid membranes

“…Conventional ion exchange resins composing of divinylbenzene crosslinked polystyrene (PS-DVB) network structure containing sulfonic acid groups, inhibit the access of reactants with sizes larger than the interstices of the polymer chains [8]. Unlikely, polystyrene-polypropylene fibrous ion exchange catalysts showed more effective catalytic activity towards sucrose hydrolysis due to the increase in their surface area together with the increase in the reactant molecular size accessibility [9].…”