Study on the Synthesis of Ethylene Glycol by Catalytic Hydrolyze of Ethylene Carbonate

The process for ethylene glycol (EG) by catalytic hydrolysis of ethylene carbonate (EC) was studied. The influencing factors of the reaction products were studied which include the reaction temperature, the mole ratio of H2O to EC, the mass fraction of the catalyst and the reaction time. The optimal conditions were identified as follows: the reaction temperature is 140-145°C, n (H2O) :n (EC) = 2.0-2.5 : 1, the catalyst of Al2O3is about 2.0wt%, the reaction time is about two hours. Under the above conditions, EC can be completely hydrolyzed and the selectivity of EG is above 98%.