Method for producing isopropanol from propane

摘要

Manufacturing alkanols, preferably isopropanol and 2-butanol, from the corresponding alkanes, preferably propane and n-butane, comprises (a) preparing a feed gas stream containing the alkane; (b) dehydrogenating the alkane containing feed gas stream to alkene containing product gas stream; reacting the alkene product gas stream with an organic acid to obtain corresponding alkyl ester of the organic acid; reacting alkyl ester with water in an ester cleavage zone to form alkanol and the organic acid. Manufacturing alkanols, preferably isopropanol and 2-butanol, from the corresponding alkanes, preferably propane and n-butane, comprises: (a) preparing a feed gas stream containing the alkane; (b) dehydrogenating the alkane containing feed gas stream by feeding the stream into a dehydrogenation zone to obtain a product gas stream (B1) containing the alkene, non-converted alkane, high-boiling components, water vapor, hydrogen and low-boiling components; (c) at least compressing the product gas stream (B1) and optionally isolating the product gas stream (B1) into an aqueous phase (C1), a phase (C2) containing the alkene, the alkane and optionally the high-boiling components, and a gas phase (C3) containing hydrogen and low-boiling components; (d) reacting the product gas stream (B1) or the alkene and phase (C2) containing the alkane with an organic acid in an ester formation zone to obtain a product mixture (D1) containing the corresponding alkyl ester of the organic acid and the non-converted alkane; (e) isolating an alkane containing gas stream (E1) from the product mixture (D1), where the alkane containing gas stream is possibly refluxed into the dehydrogenation zone, and a product mixture (E2) containing the alkyl ester is obtained; (f) reacting the product mixture (E2) with water in an ester cleavage zone to form a product mixture (F1) containing the alkanol and the organic acid; and (g) isolating the alkanol and the organic acid from the product mixture (F1) and refluxing the organic acid into the ester formation zone.