Patent ID: 7968758
Filing Date: 2011-06-28
Classification: C07C

Abstract:
1. A process for the dissociation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) to form isobutene, comprising: a) catalytically dissociating an MTBE-containing feed stream I by contacting the feed stream I with a catalyst to give a dissociation product stream II; b) distilling the dissociation product stream II obtained in a) into an overhead stream III comprising more than 90% by mass of isobutene and a bottom stream IV comprising diisobutene, MTBE and more than 80% by mass of the methanol present in the dissociation product II; c) distilling the bottom stream IV obtained in b) into a methanol-containing bottom stream V, a side stream VI comprising diisobutene, methanol and MTBE, and an overhead stream VII comprising MTBE and methanol, and d) recirculating the overhead stream VII to the MTBE-containing feed stream I in a), wherein diisobutene is separated from the process only in step c) and the conditions in the distillation step b) are controlled such that the mass flow of the overhead stream III is greater than the mass flow of the bottom stream IV.