Bis (2‐mercapto‐ethyl) amine modification of macroporous sulfonic resin catalyst in bisphenol‐a synthesis

A novel catalyst for bisphenol‐A synthesis was prepared by bis (2‐mercapto‐ethyl) amine adsorbed on macroporous sulfonic resin through neutralization reaction. The physicochemical properties of two resin catalysts before and after bis (2‐mercapto‐ethyl) amine absorption were compared by scanning electron microscope and nitrogen adsorption. The kinetic of the new catalyst preparation process was studied and it was found that this is a chemical adsorption and endothermic process. The adsorption rate is mainly controlled by the intraparticle diffusion, affected by boundary layer diffusion and chemical reaction as well. The thermodynamic activation parameters were calculated. Compared with unmodified catalyst, the modified resin catalyst showed higher selectivity and acetone conversion in the continuous bisphenol‐A synthesis process. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 3816–3823, 2013