It was observed that increasing the reaction temperature had a favorable influence on the degree of esterification.

R-OH + R-COOH ⇌ R-COOR + H2O

Esterification is a reaction that occurs when an alcohol and a carboxylic acid react to form an ester. During this reaction, water is produced as a byproduct. This is an example of a condensation reaction, which is a reaction that produces a small extra molecule. 

Esters are sweet-smelling oily liquids used in food flavourings and perfumes.

The yield of an esterification reaction can be increased by: 

• Using a surplus of a reactant: Increase the concentration of one reactant, such as alcohol, to produce more product. 

• Removing water: Use adsorbents to keep the concentration of water low. You can also use a zeolite A vapor permeation membrane to remove water generated by the reaction. 

• Removing low-boiling ester: Use reactive distillation to remove low-boiling ester. 

• Controlling alcohol concentration: Control the concentration of alcohol in the reaction solution at different temperatures to shorten the reaction time. 

• Using hydrophilic inorganic membranes: Use membranes that are stable against strong acids. 

Esterification reactions are reversible, and the equilibrium conditions limit the degree of conversion. The products of the reaction, water and ester, can convert back into the reactants, alcohol and carboxylic acid. 

In esterification, sulfuric acid (𝐻2𝑆𝑂4) plays a dual role as a catalyst and a dehydrating agent :   

• Catalyst - Sulfuric acid speeds up the reaction by lowering the activation energy. This allows the reaction to proceed quickly and complete on time. 

• Dehydrating agent - Sulfuric acid removes water from the reaction, forcing the equilibrium reaction to the right. This results in a greater yield of the desired ester.