Process for preparing alkyl tert-butyl ethers and di-n-butene from field butanes

US5864052A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Huels Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Franz Nierlich · Marl, DE
• Paul Olbrich · Haltern, DE
• Wilhelm Droste · Marl, DE
• Richard H. Mueller · Marl, DE
• Walter Toetsch · Marl, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 24, 1997
• Grant date: Jan 26, 1999
• Expiry date: Jul 24, 2017

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C07C41/06
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for preparing di-n-butene and alkyl tertbutyl ethers in a coupled production from field butanes, which indicates (a) separating the field butanes 1 into n-butane and isobutane in the separation stage 4, (b) dehydrogenating the n-butane 5 in a dehydrogenation stage 6 to give an n-butene-containing dehydrogenation mixture 7, oligomerizing the n-butene in the oligomerization stage 10 to give an oligomer mixture 11 and separating di-n-butene 12 off from this, and (c) de-hydrogenating the isobutane 15 in the dehydrogenation stage 16 to give an isobutene-containing dehydrogenation mixture 17 and reacting the isobutene with an alkanol 20 in the etherification stage 19 to give an alkyl tert-butyl ether 21. In an advantageous embodiment, the field butanes 1, prior to entry into the separation stage 4, are subjected to hydrogenation conditions in the hydrogenation stage 2 and an isomerization stage 3 is assigned to the separation stage 4, by means of which isomerization stage the ratio of n-butane to isobutane is set in accordance with the desired ratio of alkyl tertbutyl ether to di-n-butene.