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EP0075136B1 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

A process for recovering methyl-tert-butyl ether from a reaction effluent

Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Co
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Filing: 1982-08-27
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Granted: 1986-03-12
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Expires: 2002-08-27
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Abstract

Abstract MTBE is recovered from an ether containing effluent by fractionation. When driers are not used on the hydrocarbon feed to MTBE manufacture, a separate water-methanol phase occurs in the fractionation overhead which is separately processed in a methanol fractionator and the water recovered is used to water wash the separated hydrocarbon phase from the overhead while methanol is recycled to MTBE and when driers are used on the hydrocarbon feed a separate methanol phase occurs in the fractionation overhead which can be recycled to MTBE manufacture and the hydrocarbon phase is directly passed to a drier preceding alkylation.

Inventors

  • 👤 Joe Van Pool
  • 👤 Paul Douglas Hann

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 06:28
CPC Classifications
C; C07; C07C; C07C41/00; C07C41/01; C07C41/34; C07C41/40; C07C41/42; C07C41/05; C07C41/06

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 164 words
A process for recovering methyl-tertiarybutyl ether (MTBE) from a reaction effluent containing MTBE, methanol, unreacted hydrocarbons comprising isobutylene and other C 4 hydrocarbons, and water, wherein said effluent is fractionated in a first fractionation step to obtain an overhead stream comprising unreacted hydrocarbons, methanol and water and a bottoms fraction comprising MTBE substantially free of methanol, said overhead is condensed and subjected to a further treatment comprising the steps of washing with water and phase-separating into an upper hydrocarbon phase and a lower liquid phase comprising methanol and watet, and said lower liquid phase is passed together with a water stream recovered from the water washing step to a second fractionation step to separately recover a methanol stream and a water stream, characterized in that said water washing step to recover a hydrocarbon stream substantially free of methanol and water, and a water stream containing methanol, is carried out after phase-separating said condensed overhead into said upper hydrocarbon phase and said lower liquid phase.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 164 words
A process for recovering methyl-tertiarybutyl ether (MTBE) from a reaction effluent containing MTBE, methanol, unreacted hydrocarbons comprising isobutylene and other C 4 hydrocarbons, and water, wherein said effluent is fractionated in a first fractionation step to obtain an overhead stream comprising unreacted hydrocarbons, methanol and water and a bottoms fraction comprising MTBE substantially free of methanol, said overhead is condensed and subjected to a further treatment comprising the steps of washing with water and phase-separating into an upper hydrocarbon phase and a lower liquid phase comprising methanol and watet, and said lower liquid phase is passed together with a water stream recovered from the water washing step to a second fractionation step to separately recover a methanol stream and a water stream, characterized in that said water washing step to recover a hydrocarbon stream substantially free of methanol and water, and a water stream containing methanol, is carried out after phase-separating said condensed overhead into said upper hydrocarbon phase and said lower liquid phase.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 38 words
A process according to claim 1 characterized in that said - hydrocarbon stream is passed through a drying zone and then to an alkylation zone for contact with an olefin and an alkylation catalyst to form an alkylate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 76 words
A process according to claim 2 characterized in that at least a portion of the effluent from the drying zone is used to regenerate another drier on a regeneration cycle, and the effluent from the drier on regeneration cycle is condensed and separated into a hydrocarbon phase which is passed to a drier on a drying cycle and a water phase containing methanol which is passed as part of the feed for said second fractionation step.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 55 words
A process according to one bf claims 1 to 3 characterized in that said methanol stream recovered after said second fractionation step is recycled to the reaction to form MTBE and the water stream obtained after said second fractionation step is used as at least a portion of the water used for the water-washing step.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 118 words
A process for recovering MTBE from a reaction effluent containing MTBE, unreacted hydrocarbons comprising isobutylene and other C 4 hydrocarbons, methanol, and minor amounts of water comprising fractionating said effluent to obtain an overhead fraction comprising un- . reacted hydrocarbons, methanol, and water, if any, and a bottoms fraction comprising MTBE substantially free of methanol, condensing said overhead and phase separating said condensed overhead into an upper hydrocarbon phase and a lower liquid phase comprising substantially methanol, characterized in that said upper hydrocarbon phase is passed to an on-stream drier preceding an alkylation to remove the last traces of methanol; and said lower liquid phase comprising substantially methanol is recycled to MTBE manufacture to form said reaction effluent.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 118 words
A process for recovering MTBE from a reaction effluent containing MTBE, unreacted hydrocarbons comprising isobutylene and other C 4 hydrocarbons, methanol, and minor amounts of water comprising fractionating said effluent to obtain an overhead fraction comprising un- . reacted hydrocarbons, methanol, and water, if any, and a bottoms fraction comprising MTBE substantially free of methanol, condensing said overhead and phase separating said condensed overhead into an upper hydrocarbon phase and a lower liquid phase comprising substantially methanol, characterized in that said upper hydrocarbon phase is passed to an on-stream drier preceding an alkylation to remove the last traces of methanol; and said lower liquid phase comprising substantially methanol is recycled to MTBE manufacture to form said reaction effluent.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 64 words
A process according to claim 5 characterized in that at least a part of the effluent from said on-stream drier is used to regenerate a drier on a regeneration cycle, and the effluent from the drier on regeneration is condensed and separated into a hydrocarbon phase which is passed to a drier on a drying cycle and methanol which is recycled to MTBE manufacture.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 33 words
A process according to claim 5 or 6 characterized in that the hydrocarbon feed is passed through driers to remove water prior to being passed to MTBE manufacture for forming said reaction effluent.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 37 words
A process according to one of claims 5 to 7 characterized in that sufficient excess methanol is used in the MTBE manufacture and forming said reaction effluent that essentially only methanol is formed as lower liquid phase.

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