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ABSTRACT Mixtures are azeotropic if they can be distilled (or condensed) without a change of composition1. The existence of azeotropes in multicomponent mixtures in the absence of chemical
reactions is well understood phenomenologically2,3 and theoretically4,5. Azeotropes place a fundamental limit on the compositions attainable in mixtures by fractional distillation, but they
can in some cases be ‘broken’ by carrying out chemical reaction and separation simultaneously rather than sequentially6,7,8,9. Here we report the discovery of a boiling state of constant
composition and temperature in a mixture of acetic acid, isopropanol, isopropyl acetate and water that is simultaneously in both reaction and phase equilibrium. These states, which we call
reactive azeotropes, were predicted recently10,11. Without reaction, the mixture exhibits three two-component azeotropes, one three-component azeotrope but no four-component azeotrope; the
last appears only under equilibrium reaction conditions. These findings may constrain technologies in which reaction and separation are conducted simultaneously, for example by limiting the
conditions under which an azeotrope can be broken by chemical reactions to yield a high-purity product. Inother cases the presence of a reactive azeotrope may be advantageous9. Access
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SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS SYNTHESIS OF APROTIC IONIC LIQUIDS Article 30 June 2022 ACTIVE SPECIES IN CHLOROALUMINATE IONIC LIQUIDS CATALYZING LOW-TEMPERATURE POLYOLEFIN
DECONSTRUCTION Article Open access 10 July 2024 THE ROLE OF BOROSILICATE GLASS IN MILLER–UREY EXPERIMENT Article Open access 25 October 2021 REFERENCES * Rowlinson, J. S. _Liquids and Liquid
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& Rasmussen, P. _Vapor-Liquid Equilibria Using UNIFAC_(Elsevier, Amsterdam, (1977)). Google Scholar Download references ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work was supported by National Science
Foundation and the National Environmental Technology Institute. AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Department of Chemical Engineering, Goessmann Laboratory, University of
Massachusetts, Amherst, 010033110, Massachusetts, USA W. Song, R. S. Huss, M. F. Doherty & M. F. Malone Authors * W. Song View author publications You can also search for this author
inPubMed Google Scholar * R. S. Huss View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * M. F. Doherty View author publications You can also search for
this author inPubMed Google Scholar * M. F. Malone View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to M. F. Doherty.
RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Song, W., Huss, R., Doherty, M. _et al._ Discovery of a reactive azeotrope. _Nature_ 388, 561–563 (1997).
https://doi.org/10.1038/41515 Download citation * Received: 20 January 1997 * Accepted: 24 June 1997 * Issue Date: 07 August 1997 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/41515 SHARE THIS ARTICLE
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