Process for the cleavage of alkyl tert-alkyl ethers into isoolefins and alkanols over acid catalysts

US6552236B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• OXENO OLEFINCHEMIE GMBH · DE

Inventors

• Michael Sakuth · Marl, DE
• Axel Tuchlenski · Weinheim, DE
• Dieter Reusch · Marl, DE
• Andreas Beckman · Recklinghausen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 25, 2001
• Grant date: Apr 22, 2003
• Expiry date: Jun 19, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P20/52
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Alkyl tert-alkyl ethers are cleaved into the corresponding isoolefins and alkanols by a process comprising acid-catalyzed reactive distilling an alkyl tert-alkyl ether fed into the reaction zone of a reactive distillation apparatus as an azeotrope of the alkyl tert-alkyl ether and the corresponding alkanol, wherein the reactive distillation apparatus is configured from bottom to top as a bottom zone, at least one distillation zone and a reaction zone. The process is suitable for the cleavage of primary, secondary and tertiary alkyl tert-alkyl ethers, in particular MTBE.