ABSTRACT
DRamprasad@rohmhaas.com Abstract The hydration of olefins is an industrially important reaction. It is used to convert alkenes such as 1-butene into 2-butanol which can then be dehydrogenated to give methyl ethyl ketone. Currently, a number of plants still use an indirect hydration process wherein the butenes are esterified with liquid sulfuric acid and the resulting butyl esters are hydrolyzed to produce the alcohol. The disadvantage to such a process is the neutralization waste, which has to be treated and disposed. Between 1972-1984, leaders in the industry have pioneered the application of a heterogeneous catalyst for this hydration. This catalyst is a polymer containing sulfuric acid groups. The operating conditions for the sec-butanol process involve supercritical conditions with temperatures between 150-170 °C and pressures between 50-70 bar. Under these conditions, the catalyst can desulfonate resulting in the formation of corrosive components and in a loss of activity.
