Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd.

Hideyuki Kambe

Yuuji Shimasaki

Hitoshi Yano

Shinji Takasaki

Shukichi Ugamura

Here is provided a process capable of efficiently carrying out a gas-phase dehydration reaction comprising contacting a raw material gas with a solid oxide catalyst containing an alkali metal element to allow reaction to progress by inhibiting decomposition of the raw material and the objective product. This process comprises using a sintered oxide comprising an alkali metal element and silica and/or alumina as a loading material for preheating of the raw material gas and/or as a supporting material for fixation of the position of the catalyst.

Gas-phase dehydration reaction process

A reaction mixture in a gas form which is obtained by intramolecular dehydration of glycol ether in a gas phase is liquidized and collected by using as a collecting agent the glycol ether which is a raw material of the reaction mixture. The collected liquid thus obtained is continuously distilled by using a continuous distillation column so that a distillate containing alkyl vinyl ether and water is obtained, while a bottom product containing glycol ether is obtained. The distillate is left to stand in a separation vessel whereby separating into an oleaginous layer and an aqueous layer, so that alkyl vinyl ether is collected as the oleaginous layer. On the other hand, in the case where the bottom product contains water, the bottom product is continuously distilled together with an azeotrope former by using a continuous distillation column whereby a distillate containing an azeotrope of water and the azeotrope former, so that glycol ether is collected as a bottom product. By doing so, a method whereby alkyl vinyl ether as well as glycol ether which is the raw material and the collecting agent are efficiently collected, purified, and recovered is realized.

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Izumiotsu, Japan

Hideyuki Kambe