Patent ID: 6107526
Filing Date: 2000-08-22
Classification: C07C,Y02P

Abstract:
A process for producing an ethyl tertiary butyl ether stream containing less than 0.6 weight percent ethanol comprising:a) separating, in a C.sub.4 distillation column, a mixed C.sub.4 hydrocarbon stream into at least a stream enriched in normal butane and a stream enriched in isobutane;b) catalytically dehydrogenating the stream enriched in isobutane to form an effluent containing isobutylene;c) introducing ethanol, the effluent containing isobutylene, and the stream enriched in normal butane to an etherification zone having a catalytic distillation column which contains an etherification catalyst, said stream enriched in normal butane being introduced in an amount sufficient to form an azeotrope with unreacted ethanol and thereby provide an ethyl tertiary butyl ether product stream containing no more than 0.6 weight percent ethanol and an overhead stream containing an azeotrope of ethanol and normal butane;d) removing the ethyl tertiary butyl ether product stream containing less than about 0.6 weight percent ethanol from the catalytic distillation column; ande) removing the overhead stream from the catalytic distillation column.