Question

explain why it is possible to separate n-butyl acetate from excess and unreacted acetic acid and n-butyl alcohol

Answer 1

n-butyl acetate is easily spearable from unreacted acetic acid by an Na2CO3 treatment, wherein, the acetic acid forms sodium salt and goes in water whereas the ester remains unreactive. The ester is separated from n-butanol by azeotropic distillation with water, wherein, n-butanol distills off with water and gives pure n-butyl acetate product. So overall the properties and reactivity of ester is widely different from the two starting materials and thus can be separated from them.