Producing　2-ethyl-1-hexyl　thioglycolate　(ETE)　via　esterification　reaction　with　thioglycolic　acid　(TGA)　aqueous　solution　as　raw　material　by　reactive-separation　coupling　technology　is　a　promising　process　intensification　method.　To　choose　suitable　reactive-separation　coupling　strategy,　the　kinetic　studies　of　the　esterification　of　TGA　with　2-ethyl-1-hexanol　(EHL)　were　carried　out　in　a　batch　system.　The　commercial　ion　exchange　resin　was　employed　as　an　eco-friendly　catalyst.　The　effects　of　temperature,　catalyst　concentration　and　molar　ratio　were　determined.　It　was　interesting　to　observe　that　the　equilibrium　conversion　of　TGA　increased　with　the　increase　of　catalyst　mass　fraction　due　to　the　adsorption　of　product　water　onto　resin　surface.　The　activity-based　pseudo-homogeneous　(PH),　Eley-Rideal　(ER)　and　Langmuir-Hinshelwood-Hougen-Watson　(LHHW)　models　were　used　to　fit　the　kinetics　data　of　the　resin-catalyzed　reaction.　The　models　of　ER　and　LHHW　performed　better　than　the　PH　model.　The　kinetics　of　the　TGA-self-catalyzed　reaction　was　also　determined.　An　activity-based　homogeneous　kinetics　model　could　well　describe　this　self-catalyzed　reaction.　These　results　would　be　meaningful　to　the　selection　and　design　of　an　appropriate　reaction-separation　strategy　for　the　production　of　ETE,　to　realize　the　process　intensification.　©　2020　Chemical　Industry　and　Engineering　Society　of　China