Preparation of tertiary butyl alcohol by catalytic decomposition of tertiary butyl hydroperoxide

In a method wherein a tertiary butyl hydroperoxide charge stock comprising an organic solvent solution of tertiary butyl hydroperoxide that contains from about 5 to about 30 wt. % of tertiary butyl hydroperoxide is brought into continuous contact with a catalytically effective amount of a pelleted hydroperoxide decomposition catalyst in a hydroperoxide decomposition reaction zone in liquid phase with agitation under hydroperoxide conversion conditions including a temperature within the range of about 25.degree. to about 250.degree. C., a space velocity of about 0.5 to 2 volumes of tertiary butyl hydroperoxide charge stock per volume of catalyst per hour and a pressure of about 0 to about 1,000 psig to convert said tertiary butyl hydroperoxide to decomposition products, principally tertiary butyl alcohol, the improvement which comprises:

• a) using, as said tertiary butyl hydroperoxide charge stock a solution of tertiary butyl hydroperoxide in a cosolvent mixture of about 50 to about 80 wt. % of isobutane with, correspondingly, about 50 to 20 wt. % of tertiary butyl alcohol,
• b) using an alumina-supported palladium/gold catalyst as said hydroperoxide decomposition catalyst, and
• c) recovering tertiary butyl alcohol from the products of said hydroperoxide decomposition reaction.