| Abstract
| - Synthesis of MTBE directly from methanol and tert-butyl alcohol is considered in a separativechemical reactor, which can be used to simulate a countercurrent chromatographic moving bed.A mathematical model is developed for a reactor configuration consisting of multiple columnsconnected in series in a circular arrangement with ports that can serve either as inlets or asoutlets. The columns are packed with Amberlyst 15 ion-exchange resin, which acts as bothadsorbent and catalyst. Experimentally determined adsorption and kinetic parameters are usedin the mathematical model to predict the concentration profiles of the reactant and products.The effects of the switching time; the feed, solvent, and product flow rates; and the number ofcolumns on the yield, selectivity, and purity of the desired product (MTBE) and the conversionof the limiting reactant (TBA) were studied systematically. The sensitivity study reveals that itis not possible to maximize the yield and selectivity of MTBE simultaneously, as some of theoperating parameter act in conflicting manners.
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