Stone & Webster Engineering Corp.

Johannes C Norenburg

Jacob N Rubin

There is provided a novel integrated process for producing methyl tertiary butyl ether from a C.sub.4 containing hydrocarbon feedstock comprising passing the feedstock through zones of butadiene hydrogenation, MTBE synthesis, paraffin/olefin separation and skeletal isomerization.

Integrated MTBE process

A process and apparatus provide enhanced recovery of ethylene, hydrogen and methane from the effluent produced by cracking olefins. A cracked gas is fractionally condensed in several stages. The overhead vapor from the last stage is refluxed in a rectifier tower to enable recovery of residual light hydrocarbons such as ethylene in the cracked gas and for improving the purity and yield of hydrogen. The refrigeration for producing the reflux is obtained by expanding a portion of the overhead vapor from the rectifier tower. Preferably, the fractional condensates of the cracked gas and the ethylene rich bottoms product from the rectifier tower are directed to a demethanizer. The overhead vapor from the demethanizer can be directed to the rectifier tower for recovery of ethylene contained therein.

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Marblehead, MA, United States of America

Johannes C Norenburg