Process for preparing ethylene and/or propylene and a butadiene-enriched product

• Main Author: VAN WESTRENEN JEROEN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 01.04.2014
• Subjects: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS; CHEMISTRY; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION ORPROCESSING OF GOODS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS; METALLURGY; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE

The present invention provides a process for preparing ethylene and propylene and a butadiene-enriched product, comprising the steps of: a) providing a C4 hydrocarbon stream, comprising iso-olefins and butadiene. b) subjecting the C4 hydrocarbon stream to an etherification process, wherein the iso-olefins are converted with methanol and/or ethanol to an tert-alkyl ether in the presence of a catalyst, wherein the molar ratio of alcohol to iso-olefin is maintained above 1, and retrieving an etherification product stream; c) separating the etherification product stream into an ether-enriched stream and a butadiene-enriched product; d) converting the tert-alkyl ether in the ether-enriched stream to ethylene and/or propylene by contacting least part of the ether-enriched stream with a molecular sieve-comprising catalyst at a temperature in the range of from 350 to 1000° C. and retrieving an olefinic product comprising ethylene and/or propylene.