{"id":{"repo_id":"cape-town","oai_identifier":"oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/11833"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/cape-town/oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/11833","repository":{"repo_id":"cape-town","name":"University of Cape Town","base_url":"https://open.uct.ac.za/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Shape-selective methylation of meta-cresol","abstract":"Phenol, cresols and xylenols are of enormous industrial importance, mainly in the polymers (resins), electronics, pesticides, pharmarceutical, paint and dye industries. The selective production of cresols and xylenols is difficult, partly owing to the number of different isomers that occur and, since many of these isomers have similar boiling points, separation via distillation is not in all cases effective or economical. Other separation techniques are often complicated and costly. Consequently, the direct selective synthesis of individual isomers is to be technically highly prized. In this work the synthesis of specific xylenol isomers was investigated via acid catalysed methylation of m-cresol with methanol, and focusing on shape-selective or potentially shape-selective zeiolites and the effects of varying reaction parameters. Attention was drawn to specifically producing the \"slim\" isomers, 2,5-xylenol and 3,4-xylenol. Regualr commercial catalysts based on zeolites FER, MFI, MOR, MTW and BEA were applied. Results are compared to product distributions obtained over non shape-selective, amorphous silica-alumina.","abstract_html":"Phenol, cresols and xylenols are of enormous industrial importance, mainly in the polymers (resins), electronics, pesticides, pharmarceutical, paint and dye industries. The selective production of cresols and xylenols is difficult, partly owing to the number of different isomers that occur and, since many of these isomers have similar boiling points, separation via distillation is not in all cases effective or economical. Other separation techniques are often complicated and costly. Consequently, the direct selective synthesis of individual isomers is to be technically highly prized. In this work the synthesis of specific xylenol isomers was investigated via acid catalysed methylation of m-cresol with methanol, and focusing on shape-selective or potentially shape-selective zeiolites and the effects of varying reaction parameters. Attention was drawn to specifically producing the "slim" isomers, 2,5-xylenol and 3,4-xylenol. Regualr commercial catalysts based on zeolites FER, MFI, MOR, MTW and BEA were applied. Results are compared to product distributions obtained over non shape-selective, amorphous silica-alumina.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Fernsby, Alistair Mark"],"institution":"Department of Chemical Engineering","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Fletcher, Jack"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2006,"date_issued":"2006","date_published":"2006","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:23:33Z","subjects":[],"languages":["eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11833","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Fletcher, Jack"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Fernsby, Alistair Mark"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2015-01-09T08:56:25Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2015-01-09T08:56:25Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2006"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["Department of Chemical Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Cape Town"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["MSc"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11833"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Includes bibliographical references."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Phenol, cresols and xylenols are of enormous industrial importance, mainly in the polymers (resins), electronics, pesticides, pharmarceutical, paint and dye industries. The selective production of cresols and xylenols is difficult, partly owing to the number of different isomers that occur and, since many of these isomers have similar boiling points, separation via distillation is not in all cases effective or economical. Other separation techniques are often complicated and costly. Consequently, the direct selective synthesis of individual isomers is to be technically highly prized. In this work the synthesis of specific xylenol isomers was investigated via acid catalysed methylation of m-cresol with methanol, and focusing on shape-selective or potentially shape-selective zeiolites and the effects of varying reaction parameters. Attention was drawn to specifically producing the \"slim\" isomers, 2,5-xylenol and 3,4-xylenol. Regualr commercial catalysts based on zeolites FER, MFI, MOR, MTW and BEA were applied. Results are compared to product distributions obtained over non shape-selective, amorphous silica-alumina."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Shape-selective methylation of meta-cresol"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Fletcher, Jack"],"dc:creator":["Fernsby, Alistair Mark"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2015-01-09T08:56:25Z"],"dc:date.available":["2015-01-09T08:56:25Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2006"],"dc:description":["Includes bibliographical references."],"dc:description.abstract":["Phenol, cresols and xylenols are of enormous industrial importance, mainly in the polymers (resins), electronics, pesticides, pharmarceutical, paint and dye industries. The selective production of cresols and xylenols is difficult, partly owing to the number of different isomers that occur and, since many of these isomers have similar boiling points, separation via distillation is not in all cases effective or economical. Other separation techniques are often complicated and costly. Consequently, the direct selective synthesis of individual isomers is to be technically highly prized. In this work the synthesis of specific xylenol isomers was investigated via acid catalysed methylation of m-cresol with methanol, and focusing on shape-selective or potentially shape-selective zeiolites and the effects of varying reaction parameters. Attention was drawn to specifically producing the \"slim\" isomers, 2,5-xylenol and 3,4-xylenol. Regualr commercial catalysts based on zeolites FER, MFI, MOR, MTW and BEA were applied. Results are compared to product distributions obtained over non shape-selective, amorphous silica-alumina."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11833"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher.department":["Department of Chemical Engineering"],"dc:publisher.institution":["University of Cape Town"],"dc:title":["Shape-selective methylation of meta-cresol"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["Masters"],"dc:type.qualificationname":["MSc"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:23:33Z"}