IMPROVED ETHERIFICATION PROCESS

摘要

An improved etherification process is described for the manufacture of methyl tertiary alkyl ethers such as methyl tertiary butyl ether and methyl tertiary amyl ether. In one embodiment etherification is conducted in the presence of a large excess of methanol wherein unreacted methanol is separated in a fractionator utilizing a light hydrocarbon stripping gas to separate the methanol-hydrocarbon azeotrope. In another embodiment unreacted methanol from the etherification reaction is removed by water washing. The aqueous mixture containing unreacted methanol is separated in a stripping zone employing fuel gas as a stripping media.