Esterification is the reaction between carboxylic acids and alcohols, which results in formation of esters and water. Esters have wide applications in variety of industries. They can be used as constituents of perfumes, flavoring agents, and organic solvents. In this virtual lab we take n-butyl acetate (CH3COOC4H9), also known as butyl ethanoate, as an example, to study the reaction kinetic of esterification.
Intended Learning Outcomes
After studying the content on this website, students is expected to:
Determine the forward and backward reaction rate constants for esterification of acetic acid with butanol at different temperatures;
Compare rate of reaction and final conversion at different temperature;