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Carboxylic Acids - Reaction with Alcohols - Esters.
What is an Ester?
When a carboxylic acid reacts with
an alcohol in the presence
of
concentrated sulfuric
acid, an ester is
formed.
Concentrated sulfuric acid is a catalyst for this reaction.
Below are links to the
reactions of carboxylic acids and alcohols.
Click on the name of the ester to see the reaction. If you
want to react ethanol with
ethanoic acid click on ethyl ethanoate.
| Methanoic Acid | Ethanoic Acid | Propanoic Acid | Butanoic Acid | |
| Methanol | methyl methanoate | methyl ethanoate | methyl propanoate | methyl butanoate |
| Ethanol | ethyl methanoate | ethyl ethanoate | ethyl propanoate | ethyl butanoate |
| Propanol | propyl methanoate | propyl ethanoate | propyl propanoate | propyl butanoate |
| Butanol | butyl methanoate | butyl ethanoate | butyl propanoate | butyl butanoate |
What are the Uses of Esters?
An ester is a sweet
smelling substance.
Some esters are used as food flavourings
(for example in pear drop sweets).
Other esters are used as fragrances or perfumes.
Esters
can be made into polymers
called polyesters.
Polyesters can be used to make plastic
bottles
or polyesters can be made into fibres
to make clothing.
Recycled polyesters
are used to make fleece clothing.
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