Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Ethanol From Ethene

lvjrf - 23-8-2006 at 07:35

Hi All

C2H4 + H2SO4 ------->CH3CH2HSO4

CH3CH2HSO4 + H2O ------> Ethanol + H2SO4


What the condition of the Equation No.1 ?

Its Need pressure or not?

Thanks;)

jack-sparrow - 23-8-2006 at 07:38

Lot of heat, lot of pressure, no good yield.

You can make acetaldehyde from ethylene by the wacker process which implies the oxidation of ethylene in the presence of platinum chloride and copper chloride and oxygen. Then the reduction of acetaldehyde into ethanol by regular means.

guy - 23-8-2006 at 11:18

http://www.cem.msu.edu/%7Ereusch/VirtualText/addene1.htm#add...

It says they "rapidly" react with strong acids to form alcohols in water. You should try to make the bubbles very small.

However wikipedia says this reaction leads to many undesirable side products.

jack-sparrow - 23-8-2006 at 11:20

It reacts rapidly but I think it is an equilibrium. If you want to drive the reaction, you have to use the proper conditions. Ethanol reacts with sulfuric acid to make ether also at high temperature and pressure.

lvjrf - 27-8-2006 at 05:38

Thanks