An alternative route to synthesize acrylic acid: dehydration of lactic acid and lactates over alkaline earth phosphates
Résumé
Acrylic acid is one of the major petrochemical intermediates. In near future, its production from renewable resources is required by clean process. Dehydration of lactic acid to acrylic acid corresponds to one of the alternative routes to investigate. In the present work, alkaline earth phosphates have been prepared and evaluated for this reaction and also dehydration of ethyl lactate to acrylic acid and ethyl acrylate that appeared as more interesting. Moreover, the reaction mechanisms were determined focusing the effect of water. Furthermore, a correlation between catalytic and acido-base properties was established. Finally, the active sites, selective or not, were identified from numerous techniques including in situ DRIFT spectroscopy.