Separation of a C.sub.4 -hydrocarbon mixture essentially containing n-butenes and butanes

US4569725A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• BASF SE

Inventors

• Alfred Lindner · Frankenthal (Pfalz), DE
• Klaus Broellos · Seeheim-Jugenheim, DE
• Gerhard Sandrock · Bischofswerda, DE
• Klaus Volkamer · Bischofswerda, DE
• Werner Hefner · Lampertheim, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: May 23, 1984
• Grant date: Feb 11, 1986
• Expiry date: May 23, 2004

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S203/06
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A C.sub.4 -hydrocarbon mixture which essentially contains n-butenes and butanes is separated by a process in which PA1 the mixture is reacted with a carboxylic acid in the presence of an acidic catalyst to form a butyl carboxylate, PA1 the reaction mixture obtained from the esterification zone is distilled to give, as the top product, a fraction containing the butanes, and, as the bottom product, a fraction containing the resulting butyl carboxylate, PA1 the butyl carboxylate is decomposed at elevated temperatures to give the carboxylic acid and n-butenes, and PA1 the mixture of n-butenes and carboxylic acid is then distilled, the n-butenes being obtained as the top product, and the carboxylic acid as the bottom product.