Process for preparation of ethers in a catalytic distillation column
US6262314A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 6, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jul 17, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 6, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S203/06
- WIPO fieldChemical engineering
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A process for preparing ethers includes the steps of: providing a feedstock containing iso-olefins selected from the group consisting of C5 iso-olefins, C6 iso-olefins and mixtures thereof; mixing the feedstock with alkyl alcohol so as to provide a reaction feedstock, feeding the reaction feedstock to a reactor zone in the presence of a first etherification catalyst whereby the alkyl alcohol reacts with the iso-olefins to form alkyl-tert-alkyl ethers so as to provide an intermediate feedstock containing the ethers and unreacted iso-olefins and alkyl alcohol; feeding the intermediate feedstock to a catalytic distillation column having a second etherification catalyst defining a catalytic zone; mixing additional alkyl alcohol to the intermediate feedstock so as to form azeotropes of the alkyl alcohol with the unreacted iso-olefins without forming azeotropes of the alkyl alcohol with the ethers whereby the catalytic zone is substantially free of the ethers and the unreacted iso-olefins react with said alkyl alcohol in the catalytic zone to form additional alkyl-tert-alkyl ethers.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.