Catalytic Synthesis of Butyl Propionate by Phosphowolframic Acid

Butyl propionate was synthesized from propionic acid and butyl alcohol using phosphowolframic acid as catalyst.The influence factors such as molar ratio of propionic acid to butyl alcohol,amount of catalyst,and reaction time on the yield of butyl propionate were discussed.The results showed that phosphowolframic acid was a good catalyst for synthesizing butyl propionate.The yield of butyl propionate was up to 99.3% when molar ratio of propionic acid to butyl alcohol was 1∶1.2,amount of catalyst was 1.0%,water-carrying agent cyclohexane was 10 mL/0.2mol propionic acid,reaction time was 80 mins,and reaction temperature was 110～115℃.