Process for the production of methyl tert-butyl ether

In a process for the production of methyl tert-butyl ether by reacting isobutylene with methanol at a pressure sufficient to maintain the liquid phase in the presence of a catalyst consisting of an acid ion exchange resin, the improvement which comprises the steps of:

• (a) reacting in a first reactor in the presence of the catalyst at a temperature of from 60.degree.-70.degree. C (i) methanol and (ii) a mixture comprised of isobutylene, linear olefins, and methanol, the total quantity of methanol being in stoichiometric excess of the quantity of isobutylene;
• (b) subjecting the product of step (a) to distillation to obtain an off gas comprised of linear olefins and less than 2 percent of isobutylene and a bottoms product comprised of methanol and tert-butyl ether;
• (c) reacting in a second reactor in the presence of the catalyst at a temperature of from 60.degree. to 70.degree. C the bottoms product of step (b) with a mixture comprised of isobutylene and linear olefins, the space velocity of the mixture being in the range of 20 to 50 LHSV and the respective total quantities of methanol and isobutylene reacted in steps (a) and (c) being stoichiometrically equivalent;
• and
• (d) subjecting the product of step (c) to distillation to produce an off gas comprised of isobutylene, linear olefins, and methanol, and a bottoms product comprised of methyl tert-butyl ether, the off gas being recycled as feed to the reactor in step (a).