Patent ID: 9656942
Date: 2017-05-23
CPC Classifications: C07C

Claim:
1. A method of producing diethyl carbonate by reactive distillation comprising continuously feeding dimethyl carbonate and ethanol into a reactive distillation column to simultaneously carry out transesterification and distillation in the reactive distillation column in the presence of a transesterification catalyst, wherein (a) transesterification is in a countercurrent reaction mode in which a transesterification catalyst contacts dimethyl carbonate and ethanol; (b) a reactive distillation column is a multistage reactive distillation column having a column top part, a reaction distillation part having internals, and a concentrating part; and a side of the reaction distillation part is provided with a catalyst introduction port and a raw material introduction port located below the catalyst introduction port; (c) the transesterification catalyst is fed through the catalyst introduction port; (d) dimethyl carbonate and ethanol are fed through the raw material introduction port; (e) an amount of the transesterification catalyst used for 1 mol of dimethyl carbonate is 1 to 250 mmol; (f) a ratio of the spatial volume between the catalyst introduction port and the raw material introduction port to a spatial volume of the reaction distillation part is 0.1 to 0.9; (g) a reflux ratio of the reactive distillation column is 0.5 to 10; and (h) temperature in the column top part and the reaction distillation part is 60° C. to 100° C.