ES350968A1 - Process for Producing Isopropyl Alcohol - Google Patents

Abstract

A process for the continuous production of isopropyl alcohol which comprises intimately contacting in a reaction zone propylene vapour with an aqueous catalyst solution of phosphorous or phosphoric acid at elevated temperatures and pressures, and feeding water to the reaction zone to maintain the aqueous catalyst solution at about a constant concentration, wherein the inlet propylene partial pressure is maintained above atmospheres and the propylene residence time in said reaction zone is above a lower limit of about hours, where [alpha] is a function of catalyst concentration and temperature determinable from Fig. 1, P w is the vapour pressure of water in atmospheres over the catalyst solution, C is the thermodynamic equilibrium conversion, R is the gas constant, T is the temperature in degrees Kelvin and P is the inlet partial pressure of propylene in atmospheres. Preferably, the propylene residence time is simultaneously maintained below an upper limit defined by the expression hours. The reaction temperature is preferably held between a range of 408 to 488 K., the acid catalyst solution concentration preferably maintained between 25 weight per cent and 65 weight per cent while the propylene inlet partial pressures are preferably below 40 atmospheres. Diisopropyl ether formed as a by-product can be recycled.