Production of Materials > 3. Renewable Ethanol >
Describe the dehydration of ethanol to ethylene and identify the need for a catalyst in this process and the catalyst used
- Dehydration: The process of removing water molecules, or the equivalent of water molecules, from a substance.
- Ethanol can be dehydrated to produce ethylene and water when heated with a concentrated sulfuric acid (H2SO4) catalyst:
- Phosphoric acid can also be used as the catalyst for the reaction.