Reactivity of isoamylenes with ethanol

Abstract

The reactions of isoamylenes (2-methyl-1-butene, 2-methyl-2-butene) with ethanol were studied in a plug flow reactor at temperatures between 20 and 80 °C using an liquid hourly space velocity of 1.9 h −1. The catalyst was a strong cation exchange resin. The equilibrium conversions of the isoamylenes to ether were measured at temperatures between 50 and 80 °C. Two types of reaction took place simultaneously: etherification of isoamylenes with alcohol and double bond isomerization of isoamylenes. The conversion of isoamylene to ether was appreciably less with ethanol than with methanol. At lower temperatures this was due to the swelling of the resin and its uptake of alcohol. Above 60° C the etherification reaction was limited by the thermodynamic equilibrium.