Ethanol Hydration
Chemistry: Edexcel IGCSE, topic 15.3.6
Hydration of Ethene
Ethanol can be produced by an acid-catalysed reaction between ethene and steam.
Conditions
- Ethene is produced by fractional distillation and the cracking of long-chain alkanes.
- We can produce ethanol when we react ethene and steam in the following conditions:
- With phosphoric acid as a catalyst
- Temperature of 300°C
- 60-70 atmospheres pressure
Equation
- The equation for the reaction is:
- C2H4(g) + H2O(g) ⇌ C2H5OH(g)
Test yourself on Ethanol Hydration
What conditions are needed to produce ethanol when we react ethene with steam?
What is the chemical equation for the hydration of ethene to produce ethanol?
What catalyst is used in the reaction between ethene and water to produce ethanol?