Abstract: An extractive distillation agent used for the distillation of propylene oxide contaminated with water, acetone, acetaldehyde and methanol and consisting essentially of ethylene glycol monomethyl ether is fed to an extractive distillation column within about 2 to about 15 stages from the top of the tower to obtain an overhead distillate fraction consisting of essentially anhydrous propylene oxide contaminated with reduced quantities of acetone, acetaldehyde and methanol, and a heavier bottoms distillation fraction containing substantially all of the ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, water and acetone and some of the methanol introduced into the distillation column.

Abstract: Methyl tertiary butyl ether is prepared from tertiary butyl alcohol and methanol in a plural stage process by (a) reacting tertiary butyl alcohol with methanol in a primary MTBE reaction zone containing a cationic ion-exchange resin catalyst to form a primary reaction product, (b) fractionating the primary reaction product in a primary distillation zone to provide a first lighter, lower boiling distillation fraction comprising isobutylene, methanol and methyl tertiary butyl ether and a first heavier, higher boiling distillation fraction comprising methanol, tertiary butyl alcohol and water, c) contacting the first heavier distillation fraction in a second stage reactor containing a second stage acidic, fluoride-treated Y-zeolite having a silica:alumina ratio of 100:1 to 10:1 and a unit cell size of from 24.20 to 24.45 .ANG. or a fluoride-treated silicoaluminophosphate (SAPO) molecular sieve having a pore size of from 5 .ANG. to 8 .ANG., under conversion conditions including a temperature of from 20.degree.

Abstract: A tertiary butyl alcohol feedstock is dehydrated to form isobutylene and water in a reactive distillation column having a reactive distillation section in the middle portion thereof containing a bed of a TBA dehydration catalyst and a substantially anhydrous lower boiling isobutylene fraction is recovered adjacent the top of the reactive distillation column and a higher boiling aqueous fraction is recovered adjacent the bottom of the reactive distillation column.

Abstract: The liquid and gaseous products formed by reacting oxygen with isobutane in an oxidation reactor are separately processed; the liquid reaction product being charged to a distillation zone and separated into a lower boiling isobutane fraction and a higher boiling fraction comprising tertiary butyl alcohol and tertiary butyl hydroperoxide; the gaseous reaction product comprising inert gases and vaporized and/or entrained isobutane being cooled by an amount sufficient to condense isobutane contained therein for recycle to the oxidation reactor; the remaining gases, including isobutane being charged to a tertiary butyl alcohol absorber to obtain a solution of isobutane in tertiary butyl alcohol that is recycled to the distillation zone.

Abstract: In the purification of an aqueous acetone-contaminated propylene oxide feedstock in an extractive distillation column in the presence of an oxyalkylene glycol extractive distillation agent under distillation conditions selected to promote the formation and maintenance of an acetone buffer in the distillation column, a higher boiling (heavier) distillation fraction containing substantially all of the oxyalkylene glycols, water, and acetone introduced into the extractive distillation column is continuously withdrawn and the higher boiling (heavier) distillation fraction is partially vaporized in a first reboiler; the remaining liquid being partially vaporized in a second reboiler and the vapors being recycled to the extractive distillation column.

Abstract: MTBE is prepared from TBA and MeOH by passing a feed mixture comprising TBA and MeOH through a primary MTBE reaction zone to form a primary reaction product containing MTBE, unreacted TBA, unreacted MeOH, isobutylene and water; the primary reaction product is fractionated to provide a first lighter distillation fraction comprising isobutylene, MeOH and MTBE and a first higher boiling distillation fraction comprising MeOH, TBA and water and the first higher boiling distillation fraction is charged to a second stage MTBE reaction zone to form a second stage reaction product comprising unreacted MeOH, unreacted TBA water, isobutylene and MTBE.

Abstract: An MTBE recycle stream (which consists mainly of TBA and methanol) contaminated with residual amounts of tertiary butyl hydroperoxide, ditertiary butyl peroxide and allyl tertiary butyl peroxide can be effectively catalytically treated under mild conversion conditions with a silica-supported nickel, copper, chromium, iron catalyst in order to substantially completely decompose the peroxide contaminants and to thereby provide a treated MTBE recycle stream which is not only substantially free from contaminating quantities of such peroxides, but which also contains an enhanced amount of methyl tertiary butyl ether.

Abstract: Methyl tertiary butyl ether and diisobutylene are prepared by reacting methanol with tertiary butyl alcohol to provide an etherification reaction product containing methyl tertiary butyl ether, tertiary butyl alcohol, methanol, isobutylene, and water. A methyl tertiary butyl ether product fraction and an isobutylene fraction are recovered from the etherification reaction product; the isobutylene fraction is charged to an isobutylene conversion reaction zone to form a diisobutylene conversion product, and the diisobutylene conversion product is charged to a diisobutylene distillation zone and separated therein into a lower boiling distillation fraction comprising isobutylene, and diisobutylene and a higher boiling distillation fraction consisting essentially of diisobutylene.

Abstract: An aqueous methanol feed stream contaminated with tertiary butyl alcohol is charged to a reactive distillation column having a reaction distillation section in the upper portion thereof containing an acid cation exchange resin and separated therein into a substantially anhydrous lower boiling methanol fraction contaminated with isobutylene and a higher boiling water fraction by charging the feed stream to the lower portion of the reactive distillation column to separate the feed stream into a higher boiling water fraction and a lower boiling methanol fraction containing a tertiary butyl alcohol-water azeotrope for upward flow into the reactive distillation section for reaction of the tertiary butyl alcohol to form isobutylene, MTBE and water and recovery of a substantially anhydrous lower boiling methanol fraction contaminated with isobutylene and MTBE.

Abstract: Molybdenum oxides are recovered from an organic solvent solution of organic molybdenum compounds by adding the organic solvent solution to water and reacting the organic molybdenum compounds therein with oxygen under pressure to convert the organic components of the organic molybdenum compounds to carbon dioxide and water and to convert the molybdenum components to molybdenum oxides, and to form an aqueous solution of molybdenum oxides from which the molybdenum oxides can be recovered.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for decomposing formate esters, free acids and peroxides in a tertiary butyl alcohol stream to produce noncondensible gas products which comprises reacting said tertiary butyl alcohol stream or a methyl tertiary butyl alcohol stream containing formate esters over a catalyst comprising a non-noble Group VIII metal and a metal of Group IB on a support comprising an inert composition mixed with a hydrotalcite-like composition.

Abstract: A heat exchanger is provided, including a tubular shell having an opening in one end thereof, an open-topped, side-slotted shroud mounted inside the shell, a bundle of tubes extending through the opening into the shroud, means for circulating a hot fluid through the bundle of tubes,means for charging a heat-exchange fluid to the space between the shell and the shroud for flow through slots into the shroud and into indirect heat exchange contact with the bundle of tubes for cooling the hot fluid, andmeans for removing heated exchange fluid from the top of said shell.

Abstract: Tertiary butyl alcohol and methanol are reacted in a primary reactor in the presence of an acid cation exchange resin to provide a primary reaction product comprising methyl tertiary butyl ether, unreacted tertiary butyl alcohol, unreacted methanol, isobutylene, water and oxygen-containing by-products, and the primary reaction product is charged to a reactive distillation column where additional methyl tertiary butyl ether is prepared from the methanol, tertiary butyl alcohol and isobutylene present in the primary reaction product.

Abstract: Methanol and isobutylene are reacted to form a methyl tertiary butyl ether product stream containing contaminating quantities of dimethyl ether, methanol and isobutylene that is separated into a first fraction comprising isobutylene and methyl tertiary butyl ether and a second fraction comprising residual methyl tertiary butyl ether, methanol, dimethyl ether and water. The second fraction is separated into a first lower boiling distillation fraction comprising methyl tertiary butyl ether, methanol, isobutylene, dimethyl ether, and water and a first higher boiling distillation fraction comprising methanol and water. Dimethyl ether and isobutylene are recovered from the first lower boiling distillation fraction and charged to a second distillation column for separation into a second lower boiling distillation fraction consisting essentially of dimethyl ether and a second higher boiling distillation fraction comprising dimethyl ether and isobutylene.

Abstract: A phosphorus vanadium oxide catalyst for the oxidation of a C.sub.4 hydrocarbon. The catalyst comprises a shaped body having a volume, or a fixed bed comprising shaped bodies having an average volume, of at least about 0.02 cc, and contains a promoter selected from among Bi, Sb, Ge, Ti, Zr, La, Ce, Ni, Zn, U, Sn, Si or mixtures thereof. The promoter is present in a proportion that enables the catalyst to have a developed surface area of at least about 28 m.sup.2 /g, and to exhibit a weight/area productivity of at least about 3.5 mg maleic anhydride/m.sup.2 -hr and/or a weight/weight productivity of at least about 100 g maleic anhydride/kg.cat.-hr. when contacted with a gas containing 2.4% by volume n-butane in air, at a gas flow volume to catalyst weight ratio of 2180 cc/g-min., under a pressure of 1.055.times.10.sup.2 -kPa-G, and at a temperature sufficient to maintain a hydrocarbon conversion of 85 mole percent. Methods for the preparation of the catalyst include activation by ANST.