Bp P.l.c.

Fiona Jackson

Gareth Armitage

Jon Deeley

John Glenn Sunley

Benjamin James Dennis-Smither

Gregory Price

Benjamin James Dennis-Smithers

The present invention relates to a process for preparing ethers, particularly unsymmetrical ethers, and preferably ethers suitable for use as base stocks for lubricant compositions. In particular, the process involves the reaction of a branched-chain aldehyde and a branched-chain alcohol to form an enol ether and conversion of the enol ether to a saturated ether by reduction.

Process for making ethers via enol ethers

A process for dehydrating C+ alcohols to ether products in the presence of a catalyst and promoter, wherein the catalyst is at least one aluminosilicate zeolite catalyst which is a medium pore zeolite having a 3-dimensional framework structure, and the promoter is one or more organic carbonyl compounds or derivatives thereof, and wherein and the molar ratio of promoter to C+ alcohols is maintained at less than 1.

Process for dehydrating alcohols to ethers

The present invention relates to a selective process for preparing acetals or ethers. In particular, the process involves a selective catalytic hydrogenolysis of a trihydrocarbyl orthoesterso as to control the extent of dealcoholation to afford either the corresponding acetal or ether product. Ether products preparable by means of the present invention include ethers which are suitable for use as base stocks in lubricating compositions.

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London, United Kingdom

Fiona Jackson