Manufacturing Method of Ether
Ether is a common organic compound with excellent solubility properties and anesthetic effects, so it is widely used as a raw material for chemical production and pharmaceutical intermediates. There are two main manufacturing methods for ether: sulfuric acid method and hydrogen peroxide method. This article will introduce these two manufacturing methods in detail.
I. Sulfuric Acid Method
Sulfuric acid method is a traditional method of manufacturing ether, the main raw materials are ethanol and sulfuric acid. The following are the specific steps for manufacturing ether by sulfuric acid method:
1. Add ethanol into sulfuric acid, mix well, and then heat it to 60-70℃, so that the ethanol can be dehydrated to produce ether.
2. Steam out the ether, cool it with cold water, then add sulfuric acid and ethanol, and continue to heat and distill until all the ethanol is converted into ether.
3. The ether obtained by distillation is washed with water, then neutralized with sodium hydroxide solution, and finally distilled to obtain pure ether.
The advantage of the sulfuric acid method is that the process is simple and inexpensive, but the disadvantage is that it produces a large amount of waste acid and waste water, which pollutes the environment.
Second, hydrogen peroxide method
Hydrogen peroxide method is a relatively new method of manufacturing ether, the main raw materials are ethanol and hydrogen peroxide. The following are the specific steps for manufacturing ether by hydrogen peroxide method:
1. Mix ethanol and hydrogen peroxide according to a certain proportion, add catalyst and stir the reaction.
2. At the end of the reaction, distill the unreacted ethanol and water to obtain crude ether.
3. The crude ether is washed with alkali to remove acidic impurities, then washed with water to neutral, and finally distilled to obtain pure ether.
The advantages of the hydrogen peroxide method are that it produces less wastewater, is environmentally friendly, and the product is of higher quality. However, the disadvantage is that hydrogen peroxide is more expensive and the cost is relatively high.
Whichever method is used to manufacture ether, it is necessary to strictly follow the safety operating procedures to ensure the safety and stability of the production process. At the same time, it is also necessary to pay attention to environmental protection and take effective measures to reduce the emission of waste to protect the environment.
In conclusion, there are two main methods of manufacturing ether: sulfuric acid method and hydrogen peroxide method. Sulfuric acid method is simple and inexpensive, but it produces a large amount of waste acid and wastewater; hydrogen peroxide method is environmentally friendly and has higher product quality, but the cost is relatively high. In the actual production, the suitable manufacturing method can be selected according to the specific situation. At the same time, safety management and environmental protection measures need to be strengthened to ensure the smooth progress and development of the production process.
