Etherification of isobutylene in light gasoline fractions - with removal of unreacted methanol by contact with glycol

摘要

Processing of olefinic C3-rich hydrocarbon streams contg. n-butane and isobutylene is carried out by (a) contacting the stream with methanol in the presence of an etherification catalyst to convert tert. olefins (esp. isobutylene) to ethers; (b) distilling the effluent to separate a methanol-contg. distillate from an ether-contg. residue; and (c) contacting the distillate with ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol and/or propylene glycol to remove methanol. The glycol treatment in step (c) reduces the methanol content to a low enough level to allow the distillate to be used as an alkylation or polymerisation feed for prodn. of gasoline blending stocks.