PRODUCTION OF ETHYL ACETATE THROUGH THE ESTERIFICATION REACTION OF ETHANOL AND ACETIC ACID WITH A RATIO OF 10:1 USING SULFURIC ACID CATALYST

Abstract

Ethyl acetate is an important ester compound widely used in various industries, such as inks, paints, adhesives, perfumes, and flavoring agents in food and beverages. The synthesis of ethyl acetate is generally carried out through an esterification reaction between acetic acid and ethanol with the help of an acid catalyst. This reaction is reversible and requires optimal reaction conditions to achieve high conversion. This study aims to determine the effect of reaction time on the concentration of acetic acid (C_A), reaction rate (r_A), and conversion (X_A) in the esterification reaction between ethanol and acetic acid with a molar ratio of 10:1. The reaction was carried out in a homogeneous system with a total volume of 330 mL and the addition of sulfuric acid catalyst of 1% of the total volume. Ethanol and catalyst were heated to 35°C, then acetic acid was added and the mixture was heated to a reaction temperature of 60°C. Samples were taken every 10 minutes for 30 minutes and analyzed using 3M NaOH titration. The results showed that the acetic acid concentration decreased from 1.56 mol/L to 0.33 mol/L, the reaction rate decreased from 0.081 mol/L min to 0.012 mol/L min, and the acetic acid conversion increased from 51.92% to 78.85% at the end of the reaction. This trend indicates that the reaction proceeds rapidly at the beginning and slows down as it approaches equilibrium.