Synthesis of Higher Carbon Ethers from Methanol and Olefins

Oxygenated compounds such as ethers have a great potential as environmental enhancing additives for transportation fuels. The oxygenates can be produced from methanol and olefins or directly from alcohols, which can be produced from syngas by the Fischer-Tropsch process. The objective of our research is to study the production of higher (C6 or greater) ethers, which have desirable properties as transportation fuel additives. Higher molecular weight oxygenates have lower water solubility and vapor pressures than lower molecular weight oxygenates, e. g. MTBE, which have recently come under environmental pressures. The goal of the current project is to develop optimal reaction conditions and to develop new and improved catalysts for the reactions involved. In the previous year, our study has been focused on kinetics, reaction conditions and new catalysts for the production of a C7 ether, 2,3 dimethyl-2-methoxybutane (DM2MB), from dimethyl butenes and methanol. We have also investigated the production of other higher ethers from this olefin and butanol, propanol and ethanol as well as binary mixtures of these alcohols. We have explored the development of new catalysts for these reactions as well. Reactions were performed in microautoclave reactors at several conditions using the commercial catalyst, Amberlyst-15, as well as several new laboratory-prepared catalysts and relevant kinetic an