Process for making a composition comprising at least two different dialkyl ethers
View Patent ↗The present invention further contemplates a process for making a dialkyl ether composition comprising two or more ethers of the formula R 1 —O—R 2 . The present invention further contemplates a process for making a dialkyl ether composition starting from a first reaction product comprising 1-butanol. The invention further contemplates a dialkyl ether composition comprising two or more ethers of the formula R 1 —O—R 2 , where each R 1 and R 2 can independently be any carbon chain length, saturated or unsaturated; branched or straight-chain, of between C 2 and C 10 ; specifically between C 4 and C 10 ; more specifically between C 4 and C 6 ; more specifically C 6 ; more specifically 0 4 . The present invention further contemplates a process where a first reaction product comprising 1-butanol is used to produce a dialkyl ether composition where each R 1 and R 2 can independently be any carbon chain length, saturated or unsaturated; branched or straight-chain, of between C 2 and C 10 ; specifically between C 4 and C 10 ; more specifically between C 4 and C 6 ; more specifically C 6 ; more specifically C 4 .
1. A process for making a dialkyl ether composition comprising two or more ethers of the formula R 1 —O—R 2 , wherein each R 1 and R 2 is independently C 2 - C 10 straight-chain or branched alkyl groups, comprising:
a) contacting a reactant comprising ethanol with a base catalyst to make a first reaction product comprising 1-butanol and water, and optionally comprising unreacted ethanol;
b) optionally removing a substantial portion of the water from said first reaction product;
c) optionally removing a substantial portion of the unreacted ethanol from said first reaction product;
d) contacting the product of either step (a), step (b), step (c), or steps (b) and (c), optionally in the presence of a solvent, with at least one acid catalyst at a temperature of about 100° C. to about 250° C. and a pressure 4.8 MPa to produce a second reaction product comprising two or more ethers of the formula R 1 —O—R 2 ; and
e) recovering said dialkyl ether composition from said second reaction product, wherein the selectivity to the ethers is at least about 74%.
2. The process of claim 1 , wherein each R 1 and R 2 is independently C 4 - C 10 straight-chain or branched alkyl.
3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the acidic catalyst is a homogenous catalyst.
4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the acidic catalyst is a heterogeneous catalyst.
5. A process for making a dialkyl ether composition comprising two or more ethers of the formula R 3 —O—R 4 , wherein each R 3 and R 4 is independently C 1 - C 10 straight-chain or branched alkyl groups, comprising:
a) contacting a reactant comprising ethanol and methanol with a base catalyst to make a first reaction product comprising at least one C 3 - C 10 straight-chain or branched alkyl alcohol and water, and optionally comprising unreacted reactant;
b) optionally removing a substantial portion of the water from said first reaction product;
c) optionally removing a substantial portion of the unreacted reactant from said first reaction product;
d) contacting the product of either step (a), step (b), step (c), or steps (b) and (c), optionally in the presence of a solvent, with at least one acid catalyst at a temperature of about 100° C. to about 250° C. and a pressure 4.8 MPa to produce a second reaction product comprising two or more ethers of the formula R 3 —O—R 4 ; and
e) recovering said dialkyl ether composition from said second reaction product, wherein the selectivity to the ethers is at least about 74%.
6. The process of claim 5 , wherein each R 1 and R 2 is independently C 4 - C 6 straight-chain or branched alkyl.
7. The process of claim 5 , wherein each R 1 and R 2 is independently C 6 chain or branched alkyl.
8. The process of claim 5 , wherein each R 1 and R 2 is independently C 4 straight-chain or branched alkyl.
9. The process of claim 5 , wherein the acidic catalyst is a homogenous catalyst.
10. The process of claim 5 , wherein the acidic catalyst is a heterogeneous catalyst.