Process for preparing 3-methyl-2-pentene
AssigneeExxon Chemical Patents Inc.
InventorsDan E. Hendriksen, Gerald G. McGlamery, Michael J. Keenan, Derrick D. Pete
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for producing 3-methyl-2-pentene which is substantially free of any other C.sub.6 olefin, except 2-ethyl-1-butene, by first producing a stream that contains 2-ethyl-1-butene from the trimerization of ethylene, and second by recovering the 2-ethyl-1-butene as 3-methyl-2-pentene via etherification, separation of the ether, and decomposition of the ether back to predominantly 3-methyl-2-pentene with some 2-ethyl-1-butene.
Claims17
A method for producing 3-methyl-2-pentene which comprises the steps of:
- (a) trimerizing an ethylene feedstream and/or co-dimerizing an ethylene and 1-butene feedstream at a temperature in the range between about 0.degree. C. to about 100.degree. C. and at a pressure sufficient to maintain said ethylene or ethylene and 1-butene in the liquid phase in the presence of a titanium-based catalyst which forms a hydrocarbon product comprising at least 2-ethyl-1-butene;
- (b) separating said hydrocarbon product from said titanium-based catalyst;
- (c) etherifying said hydrocarbon product by mixing said hydrocarbon product and at least one alcohol to produce an etherification mixture, and catalytically reacting said etherification mixture in the presence of an etherification catalyst under reaction conditions which form an ether-containing stream from said hydrocarbon product and said alcohol;
- (d) separating an ether product from said ether-containing stream;
- (e) contacting said ether product with a catalyst which is capable of decomposing said ether product to form a 3-methyl-2-pentene stream which comprises unreacted ether product;
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- (f) separating said alcohol of step (c) and said unreacted ether product of step (e) from said 3-methyl-2-pentene stream to form a 3-methyl-2-pentene product.
A method for producing 2-ethyl-2-methylbutanoic acid which comprises the steps of:
- (i) producing 3-methyl-2-pentene by the steps of (a) trimerizing an ethylene feedstream and/or co-dimerizing an ethylene and 1-butene feedstream at a temperature in the range between about 0.degree. C. to about 100.degree. C. and at a pressure sufficient to maintain said ethylene or ethylene and 1-butene in the liquid phase in the presence of a titanium-based catalyst which forms a hydrocarbon product comprising at least 2-ethyl-1-butene;
- (b) separating said hydrocarbon product from said titanium-based catalyst;
- (c) etherifying said hydrocarbon product by mixing said hydrocarbon product and at least one alcohol to produce an etherification mixture, and catalytically reacting said etherification mixture in the presence of an etherification catalyst under reaction conditions which form an ether-containing stream from said hydrocarbon product and said alcohol;
- (d) separating an ether product from said ether-containing stream;
- (e) contacting said ether product with a catalyst which is capable of decomposing said ether product to form a 3-methyl-2-pentene stream which comprises unreacted ether product;
- and (f) separating said alcohol of step (i)(c) and said unreacted ether product of step (i)(e) from said 3-methyl-2-pentene stream to form a 3-methyl-2-pentene product;
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- (ii) mixing said 3-methyl-2-pentene product together with carbon monoxide, water, and a strong acid catalyst at a temperature of about 25.degree. C. to about 100.degree. C. and at a pressure in the range between about 1000 psig to about 3000 psig to form 2-ethyl-2-methylbutanoic acid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.