• 2-ethyl-1-hexanol
• bio-butanol
• butyl butyrate
• continuous-flow reactor
• hydrotalcites
• mixed oxides

In this work, the catalytic upgrading of 1-butanol over Cu-hydrotalcite derived mixed oxides was studied in a laboratory-scale flow system. The purpose of the project was to test the stability and activity of three different Cu/Mg/Al mixed oxides obtained from calcination of the corresponding hydrotalcites with copper atomic content in the range 1.0-7.6 %. The main product obtained was the butyl butyrate, an attractive novel fuel additive for the aviation sector.
Process conditions were optimized to maximize 1-butanol conversion and ester yield. For the best catalyst a range of temperatures, pressures and flow rates was tested. Several characterization techniques were carried out over fresh catalyst (before and after calcination) and used ones, such as XRD, BET, TPD of NH3 and CO2, TPR and TEM to gain insights in changes in catalyst structure during the reaction.