One step synthesis of methyl t-butyl ether from t-butanol using fluorophosphoric acid-modified clay catalysts
AssigneeTexaco Chemical Company
InventorsJohn F. Knifton, John R. Sanderson
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Abstract
A method is disclosed wherein t-butanol is reacted with methanol in a reaction zone in one step to provide methyl tert-butyl ether and the improvement of accomplishing the reaction which comprises: a. Using a catalyst comprising a montmorillonite clay treated with a fluorophosphoric acid, b. Continuously contacting said t-butanol and methanol in a molar amount of about 0.1 to 10 moles of methanol per mole of t-butanol with said catalyst at a temperature of about 20.degree. C. to about 250.degree. C. and a pressure of about atmospheric to about 1000 psig to obtain the methyl tert-butyl ether product.
Claims7
In a method wherein t-butanol is reacted with methanol in one step in the presence of a catalyst to provide methyl tert-butyl ether, the improvement comprising using as a catalyst a montmorillonite clay modified with an acid from the group consisting of a fluorophosphoric acid or phosphoric acid and continuously contacting said t-butanol and methanol in a molar amount of about 0.1 to 10 moles of methanol per mole of t-butanol with said catalyst at a temperature of about 20.degree. C. to about 250.degree. C. and a pressure of about atmospheric to about 1000 psig to obtain methyl tert-butyl ether product.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.