Process for the dissociation of MTBE

US7919662B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Evonik Oxeno GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Markus Winterberg · Waltrop, DE
• Walter Luh · Marl, DE
• Silvia Santiago Fernandez · Oviedo, ES
• Franz Nierlich · Marl, DE
• Stephan Houbrechts · Duffel, BE
• Dietrich Maschmeyer · Recklinghausen, DE
• Horst-Werner Zanthoff · Neheim, DE
• Wilfried Buschken · Haltern am See, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 14, 2007
• Grant date: Apr 5, 2011
• Expiry date: Sep 13, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P20/10
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Isobutene is prepared by dissociation of MTBE in the gas phase, by a) fractional distillation of an MTBE-containing stream comprising feed MTBE (I) and a recycle stream (VIII) to give an MTBE-containing overhead stream (II) and a bottom stream (III) having a boiling point higher than MTBE, b) catalytic dissociation of the overhead stream (II) obtained in step a) to give a dissociation product (IV), c) separation by distillation of the dissociation product (IV) obtained in step b) into an overhead stream (V) comprising more than 90% by mass of isobutene and a bottom stream (VI) comprising diisobutene, MTBE and more than 50% of the methanol present in the dissociation product (IV), d) fractional distillation of the bottom stream obtained in step c) under conditions under which the methanol is obtained as bottom product (VII) and more than 99% of the MTBE is obtained in the overhead product (VIII), and e) recirculation of the overhead product (VIII) to step a).