PROCESS FOR PREPARING C-C-ALKYL-TERT-C-C-ALKYL ETHERS Russian patent published in 1996 - IPC

FIELD: high-octane additives to motor fuels. SUBSTANCE: said ethers are produced by etherification of C₁-C₄ alcohols with tertiary C₄-C₅ olefins in liquid phase in the presence of homogeneous acid catalyst, e.g. sulfuric or phosphoric acid at starting molar ratio of C₁-C₄ alcohol to tertiary C₄-C₅ olefin of (0.9-1.2):1 in vertical tubular reactor filled with catalyst phase comprising (wt%); 5-50 catalyst; 5-30 water; 2-10 tertiary C₄-C₅ alcohol, and the C₁-C₄ alcohol balance. Tertiary C₄-C₅ olefin is fed into reactor lower portion into tubes through nozzles and the separated hydrocarbon phase is withdrawn from the reactor upper (separation) portion, and the desired ether is recovered by rectification from said phase after washing with water. The claimed process is advantageous in that the resulting products are etherified and separated into hydrocarbon and catalyst phases in one apparatus. This makes it possible considerably simpler than prior art process. EFFECT: more efficient preparation process. 7 cl, 1 tbl