Catalytic synthesis of n-butyl acetate under microwave irradiation

n-Butyl acetate was synthesized from acetic acid and n-butanol under microwave irradiation with Nd2O3(purity is 99.0%) as catalyst.Influence factors on the rate of esterification were discussed.The experiment results showed that the optimal reaction conditions were as follows.When the amount of acetic acid was 0.2mol,the molar ratio of alcohol to acid was 2.0∶1,the dosage of catalyst was 2.0g,the power of microwave was 650W,the irradiation time was 10.0min,the rate of esterification was over 96%.The catalyst keeped high capability after reused for six times.The product was characterized by refractive index and IR.