254. ------. [BROOKS, R. E.] (E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co.). Synthesis of Esters. United States Patent 2,457,204, Dec. 28, 1948; appl. filed May 17, 1946, Serial No. 670,527: 5 claims (Cl. 260-488). Chem. Abs., vol. 43, 1949, p. 3443.

Patent Abstracts

254. ------. [BROOKS, R. E.] (E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co.). Synthesis of Esters. United States Patent 2,457,204, Dec. 28, 1948; appl. filed May 17, 1946, Serial No. 670,527: 5 claims (Cl. 260-488). Chem. Abs., vol. 43, 1949, p. 3443.

Esters are prepared by treating alcohols or ethers with CO under 200-1,500 atm. pressure preferably 400-1,000 atm. at 100º-325º, preferably 220º-240º in the presence of 2-10% based on the weight of alcohol originally present, of a catalyst such as Co or its oxide, carbonyl, or carbonyl hydride. For example: 192 gm. MeOH and 10 gm. Finely divided, reduced sintered Co oxide catalyst are heated 1 hr. at 220º in a Ag-lined shaker tube with CO under 650-700atm. pressure to yield 14.9% MeOAc. A similar experiment is described in which the effect of temperature on the reaction rate is studied by injecting H₂ and CO at different temperatures and pressures and detecting the rate of reaction by a pressure drop. It is concluded that the catalyst concentration is not so critical as the temperature, which must be below 300º, preferably 220º-440º, to obtain good yields of MeOAc. At temperatures above 300º AcH and EtCHO are formed with decreased yields of MeOAc.

See abs. 859, 860, 861, 862, 863, 864, 865, 866, 867, 868, 876, 877, 878, 879.