Process for producing ethyl tertiary butyl ether
US6107526A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 18, 1998 |
| Grant date | Aug 22, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 18, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02P20/10
- WIPO fieldOrganic fine chemistry
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A catalytic distillation process for producing high purity ethyl tertiary butyl ether that contains less than 0.6 weight percent ethanol, and preferably less than 0.07 weight percent ethanol, has been developed. The high purity ethyl tertiary butyl ether is withdrawn directly from a catalytic distillation column; no downstream processing is necessary to remove excess ethanol from the ether product. A stream containing largely normal butane is generated by a C.sub.4 distillation column along with a stream containing isobutane. The stream containing isobutane is dehydrogenated to form a stream containing isobutylene. Ethanol, the stream containing isobutylene, and the stream containing largely normal butane are introduced to an etherification zone containing a catalytic distillation column. The catalytic distillation column is operated under conditions which result in the reaction of the ethanol with the isobutylene to form ethyl tertiary butyl ether. Excess ethanol forms an azeotrope with the normal butane and is distilled with other hydrocarbons into an overhead stream. The ethyl tertiary butyl ether and no more than 0.6 weight percent ethanol are distilled into a bottoms stream an…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.