Study on Mass Transfer and Thermodynamics Parameters of Alkaline Hydrolysis of Methyl Benzoate Under Arbitrary Temperatures

ABSTRACT Sodium benzoate, a food preservative, can be synthesized through alkaline hydrolysis of excess methyl benzoate, enabling resource utilization. This reaction is quite complex because the produced sodium benzoate acts as a surfactant and methanol as a co‐solvent, both of which will affect mass transfer characteristics. In this paper, a mathematical model of the heterogeneous liquid‐liquid reaction at arbitrary temperatures was developed firstly. Then, process conditions were determined through preliminary screening experiments. The interfacial tensions of two phases were measured, and the relationship of total interfacial tension with sodium benzoate concentration and temperature was established through regression analysis. Lastly, mass transfer and thermodynamic parameters of the reaction were determined using a combination of calorimetric experiments, genetic algorithm, and local convergence algorithm. This model enables rapid prediction of thermal power, as well as conversion rate, temperature, and provides theoretical support for scaling up from laboratorial scale to pilot, and even industrial production.