Patent ID: 9199214
Filing Date: 2015-12-01
Classification: B01J,C07C,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A method of olefin hydration in a membrane-integrated hydration reactor, the method of olefin hydration comprising the steps of: introducing an olefin feed composition into a production zone of the membrane-integrated hydration reactor, where the olefin feed composition comprises at least one isomer of butene, introducing water into the production zone of the membrane-integrated hydration reactor, operating the membrane-integrated hydration reactor at olefin hydration process conditions such that associated alcohol forms from the olefin feed composition using water in the presence of a solid acid olefin hydration catalyst in the production zone, a production zone product mixture forms from mixing of the associated alcohol and any unreacted water in the production zone, the production zone product mixture passes from the production zone to an associated separations zone, and the associated separations zone selectively removes any unreacted water from the production zone product mixture by pervaporating water from a feed side of a hydrophilic membrane through the membrane to a permeate side of the membrane, forming both an associated alcohol product and a pervaporated water product, where the membrane-integrated hydration reactor is operated such that the associated alcohol product contains less than or equal to 100 parts-per-million by volume butenes in the product.