The dynamics of a reactive distillation column for synthesis of tertiary amyl ether (TAME) has been analysed using a rigorous nonequilibrium (NEQ) stage model, employing the Maxwell-Stefan equations for mass transfer between fluid phases. Both pseudo-homogeneous and heterogeneous reaction models show the possibility of multiple steady states. Starting at the low-conversion steady state, a feed composition perturbation is shown to lead to a transition to the high conversion steady state, in conformity with the experiments of Mohl et al. (Chem. Eng. Sci. 54, 1029-1043, 1999). The liquid holdup within the catalytic reaction zone is seen to have a significant influence on column dynamics.
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