Ali Akbar Asgharinezhad - Chemistry and Process Department, Niroo Research Institute, Tehran, Iran

Ion exchange resin can be considered as an important development in ۲۰ the century. Ion exchange resins have insoluble matrix including exchangeable ions. Because of the insolubility of them, they are useful. They are broadly applicable in industrial and engineering chemistry. Ion exchange resin can be applied in the softening of water, treatment of wastewater, separation, purification, chromatography, and catalyzed process. Ion exchange resins can be effective catalysts, especially in the manufacture of petrochemicals. Different kinds of acidic and basic resins have been applied to enhance the catalytic performance. Esterification can be considered as an important application of ion exchange resins to produce petrochemical. In the presented review, we studied the routine process including esterification of maleic acid, lactic acid, acrylic acid, acetic acid which was catalyzed by ion exchange resins. The process and their catalyst were introduced and the efficiency of the applied catalyst was compared with each other.

Ion exchange resin, catalyst, esterification, petrochemical industry.