Process for preparing alkyl tert-butyl ethers and di-n-butene from field butanes

摘要

Coupled production of alkyl tert.-butyl ethers (I) and di-n-butene (II) from field butane comprises (a) dehydrogenating the n- and iso-butane in the field butane to give a mixture containing n- and iso-butene; (b) passing the mixture to an etherification stage, where iso-butene is etherified selectively to (I) with an alkanol; and (c) catalytic oligomerisation of the n-butene in the residual dehydrogenation mixture.