Process for the preparation of alkyl mercaptans

A process for preparing an alkyl mercaptan, the process comprising:

• reacting an aliphatic alcohol with hydrogen sulfide in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst, and
• a) starting the preparation of the alkyl mercaptan at a temperature T1 and preparing the alkyl mercaptan at the temperature T1 for a time period t1, and
• b) performing temperature cycles of the number n, comprising
• b1) increasing the reaction temperature to a temperature T2 and preparing the alkyl mercaptan at the temperature T2 for a time period t2, followed by
• b2) decreasing the reaction temperature from the temperature T2 to a temperature T3 and preparing the alkyl mercaptan at the temperature T3 for a time period t3,
• wherein
• the temperature T2 is always higher than the temperatures T1 and T3,
• and
• n is an integer larger than zero.