Process for isolating methyl tert-butyl ether from the reaction products of methanol with a C.sub.4 hydrocarbon cut containing isobutene
AssigneeInstitut Francais du Petrole
InventorsPaul Mikitenko, Lionel Asselineau
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Process for isolating methyl tert-butyl ether contained in the reaction product of methanol with a C.sub.4 hydrocarbon cut containing isobutene, comprising fractionating said reaction product by introducing it at an intermediate point of a distillation zone, recovering methyl tert-butyl ether at the bottom thereof and, at the top thereof, a mixture of C.sub.4 hydrocarbons with methanol which is washed with water and condensed and wherefrom is separated a condensed C.sub.4 hydrocarbon fraction, a portion of which is fed back as reflux to the top of the distillation zone and another portion discharged, and separating the remaining water-methanol mixture by distillation.
Claims15
In a process for isolating methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) from the products of reaction of methanol with a C.sub.4 hydrocarbon cut containing isobutene, comprising the steps of (a) introducing a feed mixture of said reaction products, comprising MTBE, methanol and C.sub.4 hydrocarbons including residual isobutene, into a superatmospheric distillation zone, at an intermediate point thereof, (b) recovering MTBE from the bottom of said zone and a mixture of C.sub.4 hydrocarbons with methanol from the top thereof, (c) washing said mixture recovered from step (b) with water in a washing zone, and (d) separating and recovering a washed condensed C.sub.4 hydrocarbon fraction and a condensed water/methanol fraction, the improvement comprising recycling a portion of the washed, condensed and separated substantially water free C.sub.4 hydrocarbon fraction to the distillation zone as reflux, at least 25% of said portion being recycled to the top of said zone;
- thereby increasing the rate of recovery of MTBE, decreasing the methanol content thereof and decreasing the heat consumption of the distillation zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.