Etherification process using post separation recycle

A process for the production of tertiary amyl methyl ether (TAME) by etherification which comprises the steps:

• (a) passing a feed stream, comprising methanol, isopentane and isopentene, and a recycle stream into an etherification reaction zone and producing a reaction zone effluent stream comprising TAME, isopentane, isopentene and methanol;
• (b) passing the reaction zone effluent stream into a catalytic distillation column having top and bottom fractionation zones and a middle zone of etherification catalyst at a point below the etherification catalyst;
• (c) recovering a net overhead stream comprising isopentane from overhead vapors removed from the catalytic distillation column;
• (d) recovering a net bottoms stream comprising TAME from bottoms liquid removed from the catalytic distillation column;
• (e) withdrawing a sidecut stream from the catalytic distillation column at a point within the catalytic distillation column below the point at which the reaction zone effluent stream enters the catalytic distillation column, with the sidecut stream comprising essentially isopentene and TAME, having an isopentene concentration of from about 5-20 mole % and having a higher molar ratio of isopentene to TAME than the reaction zone effluent stream, and passing the sidecut stream into the etherification reaction zone as the previously referred to recycle stream.