Isobutyl acetate, physical properties

Commonly used water-immiscible solvents in industrial-scale processes include alcohols (isobutanol, -butanol), ketones (particularly methyl isobutyl ketone), acetates (butyl, ethyl, isopropyl), hydrocarbons (toluene, hexanes), and methylene chloride. These solvents are inexpensive, readily available, and exhibit physical properties of low viscosity and density significantly different from water. Common water-miscible solvents are the alcohols (particularly methanol). For laboratory-scale processes, the selection is greater since selection is not constrained by economics. Craig and Sogn (16) have prepared an extensive compilation of such solvents. 

Three candidate acetates will be studied in detailed process simulations to demonstrate the factors needed to be considered in determining the suitable entrainer for this system. The three candidate acetates to be considered are ethyl acetate (Tanaka and Yamada and Siirola ), isobutyl acetate (iBuAc) (Costantini et al. and Patten and Ure ), and w-butyl acetate (Othmer °). The important experimental physical properties of these three acetates at atmospheric pressure are listed in Table 9.1. The azeotropic data are from Horsley and Gmehling, the VLB data are from Gmehling and Onken, with the VLB data for acetic acid-isobutyl acetate system from Christensen and Olson. " The binary and ternary BBB data are from Sprensen and Arlt. ... 

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