Mtbe

Methyl tert-butyl ether is prepared, and a stream of hydrocarbons containing isobutylene is freed therefrom, by reacting the isobutylene with methanol in a two stage process wherein, in the first stage, a stream of hydrocarbons containing isobutylene and methanol is fed to a primary reaction zone where the isobutylene and methanol partially react in the temperature range of from 50° to 90°C andat a pressure of from 10 to 30 atmospheres in the presence of a catalyst to form methyl tert-butyl ether which is separated by distillation from the residue of isobutylene and methanol and all other hydrocarbons in the feed stream, and, in a second stage, the residue of isobutylene and methanol and other hydrocarbons is fed to a secondary reaction zone where the residue of isobutylene and methanolreact in the vapor phase, at a temperature in the range of 60° to 100°C and a pressure of from 15 to 40 atmospheres in the presence of a catalyst consisting of an acid ion exchange resin, to form the balance of methyl tert-butyl ether which is recovered by distillation to leave a balance of other hydrocarbons practically free from isobutylene

el éter metil tert-butílico que se preparen, y unacorriente de hidrocarburos que contienen isobutileno se libraba de ella, haciendo reaccionar el isobutileno con metanol en un proceso de dos etapas en la que, en la primera etapa, una corriente de hidrocarburos que contienen isobutileno y metanol se alimenta a una primaria reacción de la zona donde el isobutileno y metanol parcialmente reaccionar en el rango de temperatura de entre 50 ° y 90 ° C yauna presión de 10 a 30 atmósferas en presencia de un catalizador para formar el éter metil tert-butílico, que es separada por destilación de el residuo de isobutileno y metanol y todos los otros hidrocarburos en la corriente de alimentación, y, en una segunda etapa, el residuo de isobutileno y metanol y otros hidrocarburos se alimenta a una zona de reacción secundaria en el residuo de isobutilenoy metanol reacciona en la fase de vapor , a una temperatura en el rango de 60 ° a 100 ° C y una presión de 15 a 40 atmósferas en presencia de un catalizador que consiste en una resina de intercambio iónico ácido, para formar el equilibrio de éter metil tert-butílico que se recupera por destilación para dejar un saldo de otros hidrocarburos prácticamente exentos de isobutileno

Claims:
What weclaim is:

1. In a process of preparing methyl tert-butyl ether by reacting isobutylene with methanol, the improvement which comprises carrying out said reaction in two stages by feeding a hydrocarbon stream containing isobutylene and methanol to a primary reaction zone at a temperature in the range of from 50ТА to 90ТАC and at a pressure in the range of from 10 to 30 atmospheres wherein theisobutylene partially reacts with the methanol in the presence of a catalyst consisting of an acid ion exchange resin to form methyl tert-butyl ether, separating said methyl tert-butyl ether by distillation from the residue of isobutylene and methanol and all other hydrocarbons in the feed stream, feeding said residue and other hydrocarbons to a secondary reaction zone where the residue ofisobutylene and methanol are caused to react in the liquid phase in the temperature range of from 60ТА to 100ТАC and in the pressure range of from 15 to 40 atmospheres in the presence of a catalyst consisting of an acid ion exchange resin to form additional methyl tert-butyl ether, and then recovering said additional methyl tert-butyl ether by distillation to leave a balance of said other hydrocarbonspractically free from isobutylene.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hydrocarbon stream containing isobutylene is a C4 olefinic stream.

Description:

The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of tert-alkyl ethers.

It is known that tert-alkyl ethers can be prepared by reacting a primary alcohol with an olefine having a double bond on a tertiary carbon...