Patent ID: 7344632

Claim:
A process for producing gasoline fuel components comprising alkyl ethers and dimers of tertiary olefins from an olefinic feed containing tertiary C 4-7 olefins with an acidic catalyst in the presence of alkanol in a reactor train system including at least one primary reaction zone with an olefin inlet and an effluent outlet, at least one primary distillation zone connected to the effluent outlet of the primary reaction zone, said distillation zone having an overhead draw, at least one secondary reaction zone connected to the overhead draw of the distillation zone and having an effluent outlet, and at least one secondary distillation zone connected to the effluent outlet of the secondary reaction zone, wherein at least one flow comprising unreacted olefins and alkanol is withdrawn from the side of the primary distillation zone and said flow is circulated from said distillation zone back to the primary reaction zone, said process comprising producing in the same reactor train system dimers during a first period of time by contacting the hydrocarbon feedstock with the acidic catalyst in the presence of alkanol at an alkanol-to-olefin molar ratio of less than 0.7, calculated from the amount of tertiary C 4-7 olefins of the fresh feedstock, at conditions in which at least a part of the olefins are dimerized, and alkyl ether during a second period of time by contacting the hydrocarbon feedstock with the acidic catalyst in the presence of alkanol at an alkanol-to-olefin molar ratio of 0.7 to 2, calculated from the amount of tertiary C 4-7 olefins of the fresh feedstock, at conditions in which at least a part of the olefins are etherified.