A process for producing ethylene and at least one of butanol and an alkyl tert-butyl ether from field butane includes separating the field butane into an n-butane stream and an isobutane stream; cracking the n-butane stream to obtain a cracked product stream comprising n-butane, 1-butene, 2-butene, butadienes, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing; and at least one of the following: (1) separating the cracked product stream to obtain a butane stream and a butene stream, and reacting the butene stream with water to obtain a fuel additive comprising butanol, and (2) dehydrogenating the isobutane stream in a dehydrogenation unit to form an isobutene stream and reacting the isobutene stream with an aliphatic alcohol to produce an alkyl tert-butyl ether.

A method and catalyst for producing an alcohol, which method includes supplying water and a C2-C5 olefin to a reactor and performing hydration in a gas phase using a solid acid catalyst. The solid acid catalyst is one in which a heteropolyacid or a salt thereof is supported on a silica carrier. The silica carrier is obtained by kneading a fumed silica obtained by a combustion method, a silica gel obtained by a gel method, and a colloidal silica obtained by a sol-gel method or a water glass method; molding the resulting kneaded product; and calcining the resulting molded body.

A method and catalyst for producing an alcohol, which method includes supplying water and a C2-C5 olefin to a reactor and performing hydration in a gas phase using a solid acid catalyst. The solid acid catalyst is one in which a heteropolyacid or a salt thereof is supported on a silica carrier. The silica carrier is obtained by kneading a fumed silica obtained by a combustion method, a silica gel obtained by a gel method, and a colloidal silica obtained by a sol-gel method or a water glass method; molding the resulting kneaded product; and calcining the resulting molded body.

A submerged propylene hydration micro-interface strengthening reaction system and a method are proposed. The system includes a reactor, a first micro-interface generator and a second micro-interface generator. Through the micro-interface generators, the propylene is broken to form micron-scale bubbles, which are mixed with reactants and deionized water to form a gas-liquid emulsion, so as to increase a phase boundary area between gas and liquid phases, and achieve a strengthening mass transfer effect under a lower preset operating condition. The micro-scale bubbles can be fully mixed with the deionized water to from a gas-liquid emulsion. By fully mixing gas and liquid phases, it can ensure that the deionized water in the system is in full contact with propylene, and they are fully in contact with the catalyst, which effectively improves the efficiency of preparing isopropanol.

A submerged propylene hydration micro-interface strengthening reaction system and a method are proposed. The system includes a reactor, a first micro-interface generator and a second micro-interface generator. Through the micro-interface generators, the propylene is broken to form micron-scale bubbles, which are mixed with reactants and deionized water to form a gas-liquid emulsion, so as to increase a phase boundary area between gas and liquid phases, and achieve a strengthening mass transfer effect under a lower preset operating condition. The micro-scale bubbles can be fully mixed with the deionized water to from a gas-liquid emulsion. By fully mixing gas and liquid phases, it can ensure that the deionized water in the system is in full contact with propylene, and they are fully in contact with the catalyst, which effectively improves the efficiency of preparing isopropanol.

A method of producing a fuel additive includes passing a feed stream comprising C.sub.4 hydrocarbons through a first hydrogenation unit producing a first process stream; passing the first process stream through a distillation unit; withdrawing a 2-butene stream from the distillation unit: passing the 2-butene stream through a second hydrogenation unit producing a 1-butene stream; passing at least a portion of the 1-butene stream through a separation unit; and passing the 1-butene stream through a hydration unit producing the fuel additive.

A method of producing a fuel additive includes passing a feed stream comprising C.sub.4 hydrocarbons through a first hydrogenation unit producing a first process stream; passing the first process stream through a distillation unit; withdrawing a 2-butene stream from the distillation unit: passing the 2-butene stream through a second hydrogenation unit producing a 1-butene stream; passing at least a portion of the 1-butene stream through a separation unit; and passing the 1-butene stream through a hydration unit producing the fuel additive.

A method of producing a fuel additive includes passing a feed stream comprising C.sub.4 hydrocarbons through a first hydrogenation unit producing a first process stream; passing the first process stream through a distillation unit; withdrawing a 2-butene stream from the distillation unit: passing the 2-butene stream through a second hydrogenation unit producing a 1-butene stream; passing at least a portion of the 1-butene stream through a separation unit; and passing the 1-butene stream through a hydration unit producing the fuel additive.

A system and method for coproduction in the production of ethylene, including contacting ethane with an oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) catalyst in presence of oxygen in a first reactor to dehydrogenate ethane to ethylene, and contacting a first-reactor effluent with an ODH catalyst in a second reactor to form ethanol and acetaldehyde.

A system and method for coproduction in the production of ethylene, including contacting ethane with an oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) catalyst in presence of oxygen in a first reactor to dehydrogenate ethane to ethylene, and contacting a first-reactor effluent with an ODH catalyst in a second reactor to form ethanol and acetaldehyde.