Etherification process

摘要

A process for the etherification of C₄, C₅ and/or C₆ tertiary olefins in a hydrocarbon feed with at least one C₁ to C₆ alcohol, preferably C₁-C₄ alcohols in a distillation column reactor, preferably where C₄'s and C₅'s ethers are co-produced, in which the amount of alcohol employed in the etherification is below that which will produce an azeotrope with hydrocarbons in the overheads from the distillation column reactor. The azeotrope results from the presence of unreacted alcohol in the reaction system in the distillation column reactor. The amount of alcohol is less than the stoichiometric amount, preferably less than 90%, more preferably 10 to 80%, of the stoichiometric amount and the overheads contain less than a stoichiometric of alcohol.