Transesterification Kinetics of Dimethyl Terephthalate with 1,4-Butanediol

PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) has excellent mechanical properties such as low absorption, dimensional stability, abrasion resistance. It is used in manufacturing electronic components, the automobile part and the various precise parts. Bis (hydroxybutyl) terephthalate (BHBT) which is a PBT monomer, can be produced by transesterification reaction of DMT (dimethyl terephthalate) with 1,4-butandiol (BD). The kinetics of transesterification reaction of DMT with BD using zinc acetate as a catalyst was studied in a batch reactor. Previous kinetic studies was carried out in a semi-batch reactor where generated methanol was removed so that reverse reactions were not considered in the kinetic expressions, resulting in inaccuracy of the kinetic model. Mathematical models of a batch reactor for the transesterification reaction were developed and used to characterize the reaction kinetics and the composition distribution of the reaction products. More accurate models than previous models was obtained and found to have a good agreement between model predictions and experimental data.