Reaction performance of propylene carbonate manufacturing by using a green synthetic route

The CO₂ fixation reaction performance was carried out by using propylene oxide (PO) as reactant and medium and ionic liquid as catalyst. Through variation of reaction temperature, pressure and catalyst ratio and amount, it was found that the reaction was under kinetic control, for pressure ranging from 15 to 50 atm, rather than mass transfer control. From the kinetic data, it shows a pseudo first order kinetics with respect to PO concentration under constant CO₂ pressure. The corresponding activation energy was calculated to be 9.152 kcal/mol. The reaction kinetics wasindependent of catalyst ratio and amount, yet the optimal catalyst ratio of Bmim]Br/ZnCl₂ is 2 for the fixation reaction. It is also a high conversion reaction, 96.0% (PO), with easier product separation, and as applied to industry for CO₂ reduction process, its kinetic information would be very useful for future industrial scale reactor design.