Study of the processes of butyl acetate regeneration from butanol-butyl acetate solutions by etherification of butanol with acetic anhydride (for use in production of penicillins]

Etherification of butanol by acetic anhydride in butanol-butyl acetate mixtures containing 0.09 to 3 per cent water was investigated. A method for processing the butanol-butyl acetate mixtures with the weight part of butanol up to 16 per cent by etherification of the latter with acetic anhydride was developed, the yield being 96 to 97 per cent and the weight part being at least 97.5 per cent. On the basis of the estimate of the raw material use for regeneration of butyl acetate from the butanol-butyl acetate solutions by etherification of butanol with acetic anhydride, the technical and economic advantages of the processing of such solutions by the described method were shown.