OPTIMIZING PROCESS PARAMETERS FOR IONIC LIQUID CATALYZED Tert-BUTYLATION OF PHENOL USING RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY

Tert-butylation of phenol using N-(1,4-sulfonic acid) butyl triethylammonium hydrogen sulfate ionic liquid catalyst in a batch reactor is optimized the process parameters using Response Surface Methodology.A Box-Behnken experimental design is applied to optimize the parameters such as Reaction time, temperature, reactant mole ratio and catalyst (IL) to phenol mole ratio of reaction.The optimized parameters are to minimize stringent experimental conditions and maintain the usage of catalyst.Maximum phenol conversion and selective yield of 2,4-DTBP were found in batch experiments at modest temperature, phenol to alcohol ratio, catalyst (IL) to phenol ratio with optimum time.