The synthesis of acetone from isobutane with the intermediate of di-tert-butyl peroxide

Abstract

Acetone, a widely used chemical raw material, is synthesized by the cumene peroxide method. At present, the cumene peroxide method has the disadvantage of high raw material cost, low flexibility, and complex process. Isobutane as an important C4 resource is mainly used as liquefied gas, which is a waste of fossil resources. Based on that, a novel acetone synthesis method from isobutane with the intermediate of di-tert-butyl peroxide (DTBP) is proposed. The reaction performance of TiO2-S and the optimal reaction condition for isobutane selective oxidation to DTBP is evaluated, and the selectivity to DTBP is 30 wt%. Then, the ZSM-5 is proved as the optimal catalyst for DTBP decomposition and the acetone selectivity is 38 wt% under the optimal reaction condition. In general, isobutane selective oxidation to DTBP which is further catalytic decomposition to acetone is feasible.