Integrated process for producing diisopropyl ether, an isopropyl

Abstract

A highly integrated process for concurrently producing diisopropyl ether and an isopropyl tertiary alkyl ether has been developed. Optionally, high purity isopropyl alcohol may also be collected as a product. In a first reactor, propylene and water are reacted to form isopropyl alcohol, a portion of which is further reacted to form diisopropyl ether. After removing unreacted propylene, the effluent of the first reactor is separated into an ether rich stream, a water rich stream and an alcohol rich stream. The alcohol rich stream is dried to provide dry isopropyl alcohol. A portion of the dry isopropyl alcohol may be removed and collected as a product. A portion of the dry isopropyl alcohol and isobutylene, isoamylene or a mixture thereof are reacted to form an isopropyl tertiary alkyl ether in a second reactor. Unreacted iso-olefins and inert compounds are then removed from the second reactor effluent. A mixture of the effluent from the second reactor and the ether rich and the water rich streams separated from the first reactor are water washed to produce a mixed ethers product stream and an aqueous isopropyl alcohol recycle stream. The isopropyl tertiary alkyl ether is collected along with the diisopropyl ether in the mixed ethers product stream from the water wash. A modified flowscheme of the process is also discussed.