Dimerization of isobutene
AssigneePetro-Tex Chemical Corporation
InventorsWilliam G. Bowman, William P. Stadig
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved process for the preparation of isobutene dimer comprising passing isobutene and a controlled amount of t-butanol and/or water (water reacts with isobutene under the conditions of the reaction to form t-butanol) through a fixed bed acidic cation exchange resin, producing only a hydrocarbon phase, removing the hydrocarbon phase, splitting the hydrocarbon phase, and recycling a portion thereof to the reaction. The recycle provides the means to control the temperature of the reaction by cooling the recycle and providing a heat sink. The controlled amount of t-butanol and/or water suppresses or inhibits the production of isobutene high polymers, e.g., trimers, tetramers and codimers (butene is also a common component of available C.sub.4 feed streams).
Claims13
A process for the preparation of isobutene dimer comprising passing isobutene and t-butanol, water or a mixture of t-butanol and water through a fixed bed of acidic cation exchange resin catalyst in liquid phase at a temperature in the range of 55.degree. to 160.degree. C for a sufficient time to react isobutene, the mol ratio of t-butanol to isobutene being in the range of 0.001 to 1.0:1 and the mol ratio of water to isobutene being less than 0.06:
- provided that the total amount of t-butanol including the equivalent represented by the reaction of water present with isobutene is within the mol ratio of t-butanol to isobutene range of 0.001 to 1.0:1, producing only a hydrocarbon phase, recovering said hydrocarbon phase, containing isobutene dimer, splitting said hydrocarbon phase, cooling one portion thereof to a temperature in the range of 15.degree. to 110.degree. C and recycling the cooled portion to the reaction.
A process for the preparation of isobutene dimer comprising:
- (a) feeding a stream containing isobutene and 0.001 to 1 mol of t-butanol per mol of isobutene;
- (b) contacting said stream with a granular fixed bed acidic cation exchange resin for a sufficient time to react isobutene at a temperature of reaction in the fixed bed in the range of 55.degree. to 160.degree. C;
- (c) producing only a hydrocarbon phase product stream containing isobutene dimer;
- (d) splitting the hydrocarbon phase product passing from said fixed bed into two portions;
- (e) recovering and removing one portion of said hydrocarbon phase product;
- (f) cooling one portion of said hydrocarbon phase product to a temperature in the range of 15.degree. to 110.degree. C;
- and,
- (g) recycling said cooled hydrocarbon phase product portion to step (a).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.