Process for cracking tertiary butyl alcohol in a reaction distillation column

US5849971A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Huels Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Michael Sakuth · Marl, DE
• Udo Peters · Marl, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: May 30, 1997
• Grant date: Dec 15, 1998
• Expiry date: May 30, 2017

Classification

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

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a process for the acid-catalyzed cracking of tertiary butyl alcohol in a reaction distillation column. The advantage of the process of the present invention compared with conventional processes is that the two-phase, liquid-liquid region of the tertiary system TBA/water/isobutene is avoided and a high space-time yield is achieved. This is achieved by the arrangement of the catalyst pack above the liquid phase zone (bottom) and by the use of a dephlegmator thus achieving the isolation of isobutene of high purity.