METHOD OF PREPARING ALKYL TERT-ALKYL ETHERS AND/OR MIXTURES THEREOF WITH HYDROCARBONS Russian patent published in 1998 - IPC

FIELD: preparation of high octane oxygen-containing gasoline components. SUBSTANCE: claimed method comprises contacting hydrocarbon mixtures containing tert-olefins and aliphatic C₁-C₅ alcohols in the presence of heterogeneous acid catalysts in two or more consecutive reaction zones in which temperature in the last reaction zone is lower than that in the first zone. Peculiar feature of the method is that catalyst in the first zone has particle size at least twice as large as average particle size in the last reaction zone, more particularly the first reaction zone uses average particle size of at least 2 mm, preferably 3 mm, and the last reaction zone uses average particle size of less than 1.5 mm. Temperature in the first reaction zone is maintained by partial evaporation of mixture, and by recirculation of mixture(s) withdrawn from said zone or from subsequent zone(s). EFFECT: more efficient preparation method. 5 cl