Potassium and Silver Salts of Tungstophosphoric Acid as Catalysts in Dehydration of Ethanol and Hydration of Ethylene

Potassium and silver salts of tungstophosphoric acid (HPW) with varying amounts of the cations KxH3−xPW12O40 and AgxH3−xPW12O40 have been prepared as pure or supported on silica using the incipient wetness method. Their catalytic properties in two reactions have been studied. The vapor-phase dehydration of ethanol carried out in a conventional flow-type reactor under atmospheric pressure at temperatures varying from 398 to 773 K, and hydration of ethylene in a stainless-steel batch reactor at 478 K under the pressure of 42 atm. KxH3−xPW12O40 in the range 0