US 5,705,712 A · Integrated process for producing diisopropyl ether, an isopropyl tertiary alkyl ether and isopropyl alcohol

Abstract

A highly integrated process for concurrently producing diisopropyl ether and an isopropyl tertiary alkyl ether has been developed. Optionally, high purity isopropyl alcohol may also be collected as a product. In a first reactor, propylene and water are reacted to form isopropyl alcohol, a portion of which is further reacted to form diisopropyl ether. After removing unreacted propylene, the effluent of the first reactor is separated into an ether rich stream, a water rich stream and an alcohol rich stream. The alcohol rich stream is dried to provide dry isopropyl alcohol. A portion of the dry isopropyl alcohol may be removed and collected as a product. A portion of the dry isopropyl alcohol and isobutylene, isoamylene or a mixture thereof are reacted to form an isopropyl tertiary alkyl ether in a second reactor. Unreacted iso-olefins and inert compounds are then removed from the second reactor effluent. A mixture of the effluent from the second reactor and the ether rich and the water rich streams separated from the first reactor are water washed to produce a mixed ethers product stream and an aqueous isopropyl alcohol recycle stream. The isopropyl tertiary alkyl ether is collected along with the diisopropyl ether in the mixed ethers product stream from the water wash. A modified flowscheme of the process is also discussed.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An integrated process for producing diisopropyl ether and an isopropyl tertiary alkyl ether comprising:

a. reacting propylene, water, and isopropyl alcohol in the presence of a first acidic catalyst to afford a first reaction zone effluent;
b. recycling a portion of the first reaction zone effluent to step (a) and removing propylene from the remainder to afford a propylene-depleted stream;
c. separating the propylene-depleted stream into an ether enriched stream, an alcohol enriched stream, and a water enriched stream;
d. drying the alcohol enriched stream to produce a dry alcohol stream;
e. reacting the dry alcohol stream with isobutylene, isoamylene, or a mixture thereof present in a feed stream further containing inert compounds, in the presence of a second acidic catalyst to afford a second reaction zone effluent;
f. removing the inert compounds, and isobutylene, isoamylene, or the mixture thereof from the second reaction zone effluent to afford an iso-olefin-depleted stream;
g. water washing a mixture of the iso-olefin-depleted stream, the ether enriched stream, and the water enriched stream to afford an aqueous alcohol stream and an ether product stream;
h. recycling the aqueous alcohol stream to step (c);
and
i. collecting the ether product stream.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Integrated process for producing diisopropyl ether, an isopropyl tertiary alkyl ether and isopropyl alcohol

Life of this patent

Integrated process for producing diisopropyl ether, an isopropyl tertiary alkyl ether and isopropyl alcohol

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14