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Thymol synthesis by acid catalysed isopropylation of m-cresol
Includes bibliographical references.
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| Main Author: | |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Chemical Engineering
2014
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| _version_ | 1867613841137860608 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Van der Merwe, Jacobus |
| author2 | Fletcher, Jack |
| author_browse | Fletcher, Jack Van der Merwe, Jacobus |
| author_facet | Fletcher, Jack Van der Merwe, Jacobus |
| author_sort | Van der Merwe, Jacobus |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Includes bibliographical references. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/9129 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:42:33.258Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publishDateRange | 2014 |
| publishDateSort | 2014 |
| publisher | Department of Chemical Engineering |
| publisherStr | Department of Chemical Engineering |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/9129 Thymol synthesis by acid catalysed isopropylation of m-cresol Van der Merwe, Jacobus Fletcher, Jack Böhringer, Walter Includes bibliographical references. The initial motivation for this study was to identify a suitable window of operation for thymol synthesis from iso-propanol and m-cresol mediated by a commercially available H-MFI zeolite catalyst. A preliminary investigation uncovered seeming anomalies in the course of the synthesis process, in particular counterintuitive trends with respect to m-cresol conversion and thymol selectivity at low space velocity. Consequently, the study sought to establish the reaction pathway responsible for these observations in an attempt to gain an understnding for future thymol yield optimisation studies. Under the reaction conditions studied, complete dehydration of iso-propanol was observed. Further reaction of the propene to olefinic species with carbon numbers higher than 3 was also seen. Results showed that the cause of the so-called “volcano curve” in respect of m-cresol conversion was found in the system’s propensity for the formation of cresylic rings which were alkylated with side chains consisting of carbon atoms between 4-8, particularly under severe reaction conditions. This fraction was formed via the alkylation of the m-cresol with the said olefinic pool. The thymol synthesis system was also found to be thermodynamically limited at high reaction temperature and low space velocity 2014-11-05T03:49:38Z 2014-11-05T03:49:38Z 2014 Master Thesis Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9129 eng application/pdf Department of Chemical Engineering Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Van der Merwe, Jacobus Thymol synthesis by acid catalysed isopropylation of m-cresol |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Thymol synthesis by acid catalysed isopropylation of m-cresol |
| title_full | Thymol synthesis by acid catalysed isopropylation of m-cresol |
| title_fullStr | Thymol synthesis by acid catalysed isopropylation of m-cresol |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thymol synthesis by acid catalysed isopropylation of m-cresol |
| title_short | Thymol synthesis by acid catalysed isopropylation of m-cresol |
| title_sort | thymol synthesis by acid catalysed isopropylation of m cresol |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9129 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vandermerwejacobus thymolsynthesisbyacidcatalysedisopropylationofmcresol |