US EPA

1453598 

Journal Article 

Macro kinetics for synthesis of dimethyl carbonate from urea and methanol on Zn-containing catalyst 

Zhao Wen-bo; Han Bing; Zhao Ning; Xiao Fu-kui; Wei Wei 

2012 

Yes 

Journal of Central South University of Technology
ISSN: 1005-9784
EISSN: 1993-0666 

19 

1 

85-92 

English 

10.1007/s11771-012-0976-7 

WOS:000299930000013 

In a stainless steel autoclave, the synthesis kinetics of
dimethyl carbonate (DMC) from urea and methanol was separately investigated without catalyst and
with Zn-containing catalyst. Without catalyst, for the first reaction of DMC synthesis (the
reaction of urea with methanol to methyl carbamate (MC)), the reaction kinetics can be described
as the first order with respect to the concentrations of both methanol and urea. For the second
reaction of DMC synthesis (the reaction of MC with methanol to DMC), the results exhibit
characteristics of zero-order reaction. For Zn-containing catalyst, the first reaction is
neglected in the kinetics model since its rate is much faster than the second reaction. The
macro-kinetic parameters of the second reaction are obtained by fitting the experimental data to
a pseudo-homogenous model, in which a side reaction in forming process of DMC is incorporated
since it decreases the yield of DMC drastically at high temperature. The activation energy of the
reaction from MC to DMC is 104 kJ/mol while that of the side reaction of DMC is 135 kJ/mol. The
highest yield of DMC is 23%. 

macro-kinetics; dimethyl carbonate; urea; methanol; methyl carbamate