Multistage catalytic process for olefin etherification

A process for producing ethers, comprising:

• reacting iso-olefin with wet alcohol in a first catalytic reaction stage to provide a first reaction mixture;
• the first reaction mixture is sent to a first evaporation column for separating the first reaction mixture to provide a first light component fraction and a first heavy component fraction comprising ether;
• withdrawing a portion of the first light component fraction and reacting it in a second catalytic reaction stage to provide a second reaction mixture, which is recycled back to the first evaporation column;
• in the first evaporation column separating the second reaction mixture to provide a second light component fraction and a second heavy component fraction comprising ether;
• the first and second light component fractions exit the top of the column as a first overhead stream and the first and second heavy component fractions exit the bottom of the column as a first bottoms stream comprising ether and TBA;
• the first bottoms stream comprising ether and TBA is sent to a second evaporation column for separating the first bottoms stream to provide a second overhead stream comprising ether and a second bottoms stream comprising TBA;
• reacting the second bottoms stream comprising TBA in a catalytic reactor to generate an effluent comprising iso-olefin, which is recycled to the first catalytic reaction stage.