Texaco Chemical Inc.

Texaco Chemical Company

Huntsman Ici Chemicals LLC

Michael W Peters

Yu-Hwa E Sheu

Mark A Mueller

William K Culbreth, Iii

John R Sanderson

William A Smith

An impure methyl tertiary butyl ether product contaminated with isobutylene, methanol and water is purified by continuous counter-current contact with water and an isobutylene fraction in an extraction zone comprising a counter-current contact tower to provide an overhead raffinate comprising isobutylene, methyl tertiary butyl ether and a minor amount of water and an extract comprising methanol, water and a minor amount of methyl tertiary butyl ether; the overhead raffinate being separated in a methyl tertiary butyl ether purification distillation zone into a lighter distillation fraction comprising isobutylene and water and a heavier distillation fraction consisting essentially of methyl tertiary butyl ether; the lighter distillation fraction being decanted to remove water and to provide a distillate isobutylene fraction that is returned to the contact tower as the isobutylene fraction.

Isobutylene-assisted aqueous extraction of methanol from methyl tertiary

Propylene oxide adducts of oxyethylene glycols are used as extractive distillation agents in an extractive distillation column in the distillation of propylene oxide contaminated with water, acetone and methanol to obtain an overhead propylene oxide distillate fraction contaminated with reduced quantities of water, acetone and methanol, and a heavier bottoms distillation fraction containing substantially all of the extractive distillation agent, and acetone and some of the methanol and water introduced into the distillation column.

Use of propylene oxide adducts in the purification of propylene oxide by

An extractive distillation agent comprising a mixture of polyoxypropylene glycols is fed to an extractive distillation column used for the distillation of propylene oxide contaminated with water, acetone and methanol to obtain an overhead distillate anhydrous propylene oxide fraction contaminated with reduced quantities of methanol and a heavier bottoms distillation fraction containing the polyoxypropylene glycols, water and acetone and some of the methanol introduced into the distillation column.

Use of mixed polyoxypropylene glycols in the extractive distillation of

Motor-fuel tertiary butyl alcohol contaminated with residual amounts of tertiary butyl hydroperoxide, ditertiary butyl peroxide and allyl tertiary butyl peroxide (which is prepared, for example, by reacting propylene with tertiary butyl hydroperoxide to form propylene oxide and a motor fuel grade tertiary butyl alcohol reaction product) can be effectively catalytically treated under mild conversion conditions including a temperature of about 160.degree. to 200.degree. C. with a catalyst consisting essentially of vitrified silica to substantially completely decompose the peroxide contaminants to thereby provide a treated tertiary butyl alcohol product substantially free from contaminating quantities of such peroxides.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Michael W Peters