Talk:Methyl acetate

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methyl acetate

[edit] Reaction with Water?

My chemistry textbook details a practical in which methyl ethanoate is added is rected with water, forming ethanoic acid and methanol. Should the chemistry section of this article be expanded to reflect that? I' not sure and as such don't want to procedd as yet. --82.10.64.133 01:12, 25 June 2006 (UTC)

This reaction is called hydrolisis, it is the reverse of the esterfication reaction which produce methyl acetate from the acetic acid and methanol. From the process point of view it is a difficult reaction which need a high ratio of water to methyl acetate. The reaction can be also conducted in a reactive distillation column. This later is matter of research in some laboratories. The reason is that the methyl acetate has not a very good market value and hydrolysis is a way to valorize it.—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 139.174.158.139 (talk • contribs).