C4 feed

butanol

To produce secondary butanol (sed,-bytyl alcohol. SBA) from n-butylenes via direct hydration.

Description: C4-hydrocarbon cuts with over 80% n-butylenes content are blended with recycled C4-stream (debutanizer overhead) and water before entering the hydration reactor (1), which contains several catalyst beds of proprietary acidic cation exchange resin and liquid water as continuous phase. Dispersed butylene in supercritical state passes the catalyst beds upflow, entraining the generated SBA. The reactor effluent is cooled, liquerfied and routed via a water decanter (2) to the debutanizer column (3). The C4-hydrocarbons distillate is mostly recycled to reactor; however, a part of it is discharged to purge the inert components from the hydration circuit. This spent C4-stream may be reconcentrated for recycle or used for alkylation.
   The raw SBA bottoms product also contains some sec.-butylether (SBE), tert.-butanol (TBA), C4 and C8 hydrocarbons. These byproducts are removed from SBA in a distillation system comprising two columns (4,5).

Operating conditions:

Reactor pressure, bar
Reactor temperature,℃      

50 - 60
150 -170

Yields and process efficiency:

Conversion of n-butylenes, typical %
Selectivity of conversion to SBA, average
Spent C4 stream, t/t SBA
Raw SBE (contains TBA, C8, etc.) & heavies, t/t SBA%     

90
95
0.17
0.05