Transesterification of Dimethyl Carbonate with Ethanol To Form Ethyl Methyl Carbonate and Diethyl Carbonate: A Comprehensive Study on Chemical Equilibrium and Reaction Kinetics

Abstract

This article studies the consecutive transesterification of dimethyl carbonate with ethanol to form ethyl methyl carbonate and diethyl carbonate. The chemical equilibrium and reaction kinetics of this system are investigated experimentally and theoretically. To enhance the reaction rate, the homogeneous catalyst sodium ethoxide was applied. Molar-based and activity-based chemical equilibrium constants were calculated from experimental results, and their temperature dependence was described using the van’t Hoff equation. An activity-based kinetic model that considers the temperature dependence of the reaction rate constants with the Arrhenius equation was derived.