Simulation of reactive distillation dividing wall column for synthesis of methyl acetate

A novel single-column reactive distillation process was proposed for synthesis of methyl acetate,in which the reactive distillation dividing wall column was used instead of conventional reactive distillation column and methanol recovery column.Both the new process and conventional process were simulated with Aspen Plus.Liquid composition profiles of the two processes were compared.The influence of important parameters,such as the reflux ratio and vapor distribution ratio,on the performance of the novel process was studied.The results showed that energy consumption of the new process could be reduced by 11.9%,and the cost of equipment and operation would also be decreased.