The issue of water carriers in the preparation of methyl benzoate
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Methyl benzoate is prepared from benzoic acid and methanol, with an excess of methanol; the reflux temperature for the reaction is in the high 70s degrees. If xylene is used as the water-removing agent, the azeotrope temperature between xylene and water is 92 degrees, which is much lower than the reaction temperature. Will this still enable effective water removal? If not, what type of hydrating agent should be used? What is the amount of water carrier to use?
I saw in a chemical preparation manual that benzene is used as a water-carrying agent, with a yield of 97%; xylene can also be used for this purpose, and its boiling point is higher, so the reaction time should be shorter