ELECTROGENERATIVE OXIDATION OF ETHANOL TO ACETALDEHYDE

Abstract
Ethanol enriched vapor streams from twenty-five volume percent ethanol-water mixtures can be selectively oxidized with porous platinum electrodes and sulfuric acid electrolyte in the elec-trogeneratice mode to give acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde yield from ethanol depends on potential and feed rate of ethanol vapor in the carrier gas stream. Control of conversions of ethanol to acetaldehyde in the range of 3 to more than 60 percent in a single stage is demonstrated. It is shown that at moderate flow rates for selective conversion there is a preferred potential range at which to operate the electrogenerative reactor.

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