A process for the production of alkyl ethers including feeding a hydrocarbon feedstock and a first alcohol feedstock to a fixed bed reactor containing an etherification catalyst. The hydrocarbon feedstock and the first alcohol feedstock are contacted in the first fixed bed reactor to react the isoolefins with the alcohol in the presence of the etherification catalyst to produce a first product stream. The first product stream is fed together with a hydrogen feedstock and a second alcohol feedstock to a catalytic distillation reaction system containing a trifunctional catalyst to concurrently isomerize at least a portion of the alpha-olefins, hydrogenate at least a portion of the diolefins, and etherify at least a portion of the isoolefins and alcohol, producing a bottoms product comprising the one or more ethers and an overhead product comprising n-alkanes, isoalkanes, unreacted alpha-olefins, unreacted internal-olefins, unreacted isoolefins, and unreacted alcohol.

A process for the production of alkyl ethers including feeding a hydrocarbon feedstock and a first alcohol feedstock to a fixed bed reactor containing an etherification catalyst. The hydrocarbon feedstock and the first alcohol feedstock are contacted in the first fixed bed reactor to react the isoolefins with the alcohol in the presence of the etherification catalyst to produce a first product stream. The first product stream is fed together with a hydrogen feedstock and a second alcohol feedstock to a catalytic distillation reaction system containing a trifunctional catalyst to concurrently isomerize at least a portion of the alpha-olefins, hydrogenate at least a portion of the diolefins, and etherify at least a portion of the isoolefins and alcohol, producing a bottoms product comprising the one or more ethers and an overhead product comprising n-alkanes, isoalkanes, unreacted alpha-olefins, unreacted internal-olefins, unreacted isoolefins, and unreacted alcohol.

A process can be used for recovering 1-methoxy-2-propanol and 2-methoxy-1-propanol from an aqueous effluent stream by liquid-liquid-extraction, followed by extractive distillation, distillation of methoxypropanols from the extraction solvent, and distillative separation of the methoxypropanol isomers. Recovered extraction solvent is recycled to the extraction and extractive distillation. Heat transfer from recovered extraction solvent to the extract fed to the extractive distillation reduces energy demand of the process. A facility for this process contains a countercurrent extraction column, an extractive distillation column, a solvent recovery distillation column, an isomer separation distillation column, and a heat exchanger for transferring heat from recovered extraction solvent to the extract fed to the extractive distillation.

A process can be used for recovering 1-methoxy-2-propanol and 2-methoxy-1-propanol from an aqueous effluent stream by liquid-liquid-extraction, followed by extractive distillation, distillation of methoxypropanols from the extraction solvent, and distillative separation of the methoxypropanol isomers. Recovered extraction solvent is recycled to the extraction and extractive distillation. Heat transfer from recovered extraction solvent to the extract fed to the extractive distillation reduces energy demand of the process. A facility for this process contains a countercurrent extraction column, an extractive distillation column, a solvent recovery distillation column, an isomer separation distillation column, and a heat exchanger for transferring heat from recovered extraction solvent to the extract fed to the extractive distillation.

A process can be used for recovering 1-methoxy-2-propanol and 2-methoxy-1-propanol from an aqueous effluent stream by liquid-liquid-extraction, followed by extractive distillation, distillation of methoxypropanols from the extraction solvent, and distillative separation of the methoxypropanol isomers. Recovered extraction solvent is recycled to the extraction and extractive distillation. Heat transfer from recovered extraction solvent to the extract fed to the extractive distillation reduces energy demand of the process. A facility for this process contains a countercurrent extraction column, an extractive distillation column, a solvent recovery distillation column, an isomer separation distillation column, and a heat exchanger for transferring heat from recovered extraction solvent to the extract fed to the extractive distillation.

A process for the continuous distillative separation of mixtures comprising morpholine (MO), monoaminodiglycol (ADG), ammonia, water and methoxyethanol (MOE), obtained by reacting diethylene glycol (DEG) with ammonia, wherein ammonia, water, ADG and DEG are removed by distillation and the resulting stream comprising MO and MOE is supplied to a distillation column K40 in which at a top pressure of from 20 to 2000 mbar MO, MOE and organic products having a boiling point 128° C. (1.013 bar) are removed via the bottom and organic products having a boiling point 128° C. are removed overhead, and also MO is removed via a side draw, where K40 is equipped with an evaporator for heating the bottoms, into which is fed heating vapor having a pressure of from 1 to 10 bar.

A process for the continuous distillative separation of mixtures comprising morpholine (MO), monoaminodiglycol (ADG), ammonia, water and methoxyethanol (MOE), obtained by reacting diethylene glycol (DEG) with ammonia, wherein ammonia, water, ADG and DEG are removed by distillation and the resulting stream comprising MO and MOE is supplied to a distillation column K40 in which at a top pressure of from 20 to 2000 mbar MO, MOE and organic products having a boiling point 128° C. (1.013 bar) are removed via the bottom and organic products having a boiling point 128° C. are removed overhead, and also MO is removed via a side draw, where K40 is equipped with an evaporator for heating the bottoms, into which is fed heating vapor having a pressure of from 1 to 10 bar.

Systems and methods for producing MTBE are disclosed. A C.sub.4 feed stream containing isobutylene and other C.sub.4 hydrocarbons is fed into a reactor unit for producing MTBE. The effluent of the reactor unit comprising MTBE is further processed to produce a MTBE product stream that comprises at least 90 wt. % MTBE. At least a portion of the MTBE product stream is then recycled back to the reactor unit.

Systems and methods for producing MTBE are disclosed. A C.sub.4 feed stream containing isobutylene and other C.sub.4 hydrocarbons is fed into a reactor unit for producing MTBE. The effluent of the reactor unit comprising MTBE is further processed to produce a MTBE product stream that comprises at least 90 wt. % MTBE. At least a portion of the MTBE product stream is then recycled back to the reactor unit.

A process can be used for recovering 1-methoxy-2-propanol and 2-methoxy-1-propanol from an aqueous effluent stream by liquid-liquid-extraction, followed by extractive distillation, distillation of methoxypropanols from the extraction solvent, and distillative separation of the methoxypropanol isomers. Recovered extraction solvent is recycled to the extraction and extractive distillation. Heat transfer from recovered extraction solvent to the extract fed to the extractive distillation reduces energy demand of the process. A facility for this process contains a countercurrent extraction column, an extractive distillation column, a solvent recovery distillation column, an isomer separation distillation column, and a heat exchanger for transferring heat from recovered extraction solvent to the extract fed to the extractive distillation.