Introduction
Esterification reactions refer to those processes between carboxylic acids and alcohols reacting together to produce esters (Smith, 2011). Ethyl ethanoate also referred to as ethyl acetate is one of the esters and is prepared through a reversible reaction between an alcohol and an acid. The process results in the production of an ester and water. The catalyst used in the reaction is sulfuric acid, which also works to remove water that is produced and thus to increase the yield of ester produced. The preparation of esters through this method is a good introduction of how equilibrium manipulation may help in increasing ...
