The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 16, 1991
Filed:
Dec. 04, 1989
Bipin V Vora, Darien, IL (US);
Norman H Scott, Arlington Heights, IL (US);
UOP, Des Plaines, IL (US);
Abstract
An integrated process of producing MTBE by the dehydrogenation of isobutane and the etherification of the resulting isobutene with methanol is simplified by directly charging the effluent of a dehydrogenation zone without prior separation to an etherification zone arranged to provide countercurrent contact of isobutene and the methanol reactants such that an MTBE product is recovered as a bottoms stream and a relatively isobutene-free overhead stream is recycled to the dehydrogenation zone. Overall separation facilities are simplified by only separating C.sub.3 hydrocarbons from the etherification zone product stream. This arrangement eliminates C.sub.3 separation facilities ahead of the etherification zone and reduces the quantity of C.sub.4 hydrocarbons that are received by the separation zone. The reaction zone may contain a series of beds arranged to further eliminate the carry over of isobutene to the separation facilities. This arrangement also allows a recovery of unreactive or unreacted C.sub.4 hydrocarbons from the top of the etherification zone.