Ec Erdolchemie Gmbh

Horst Reinhardt

Bernhard Schleppinghoff

Hans-Joachim Kramer

Herbert Tschorn

Mathias Lux

Olefinic hydrocarbons present in mixtures containing tert.-alkyl alkyl ethers and, if appropriate, other saturated aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbons can be hydrogenated with substantial preservation of the ethers if the catalyst used has an active component for hydrogenation on a catalyst support having a specific surface area of more than 50 m.sup.2 /g and a pore diameter of, in the main, &lt;1,000 nm.

Process for the hydrogenation of olefinic hydrocarbons in hydrocarbon

Crosslinked organic resins, containing SiO.sub.2 and sulphonic acid groups, having an SiO.sub.2 content of 0.1-10% by weight, relative to the total weight of the SiO.sub.2 -containing resins, are prepared by steeping crosslinked organic resins, containing sulphonic acid groups, in the alkali form in aqueous alkali metal silicate solutions or (quaternary) alkylammonium silicate solutions, and subsequently precipitating the SiO.sub.2 using mineral acid, and simultaneously converting the resin into the H.sup.+ form. These resins can be used as acid catalysts in the cleavage of tert.-alkyl ethers into the basic tertiary olefins and the basic alkanols. This use has proven particularly advantageous when the tert.-alkyl alkyl ethers to be cleaved are employed together with water for the cleavage.

Crosslinked organic resins containing SiO.sub.2 and sulphonic acid groups

Tertiary olefins are obtained in pure form by cleavage of the pertinent tert.alkyl ethers with simultaneous formation of the pertinent alcohols on strongly acidic cation exchangers in the H.sup.+ form. This cleavage is carried out at elevated temperature and atmospheric to superatmospheric pressure. The process is carried out in such a fashion that the ether to be cleaved is employed as a mixture with water. The water may be employed in an amount from 2-50% by weight, relative to the amount of the ether to be cleaved. Suitable ethers to be cleaved are those based on tertiary C.sub.4 -C.sub.7 -olefins and primary C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkanols.

Process for the preparation of tertiary olefins

Unsaturated hydrocarbons and mixtures in which the latter are present are treated with anion exchangers prior to hydrogenation and are then hydrogenated catalytically in a known manner. The treatment with anion exchangers is carried out at 0.degree.-120.degree. C. and at a space velocity of 0.1 to 10 l of hydrocarbons to be hydrogenated per l of exchanger, per hour. The process avoids other, energy-intensive pretreatments, for example distillation of the hydrocarbons to be hydrogenated, or washing, and can be carried out in simple equipment. A considerable prolongation of the catalyst operating time is achieved in the subsequent catalytic hydrogenation.

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Bergheim, Germany

Horst Reinhardt