Abstract: A process is described for producing crude maleic anhydride from a reactor effluent stream containing maleic anhydride. The reactor effluent stream is contacted with a solvent having a normal boiling point between about 250° C. and about 350° C., solubility of fumaric acid at least about 0.06 wt % at 60° C., solubility of maleic anhydride at least about 10 wt % at 60° C., solubility in water no higher than about 100 mg/L, density different from the density of water by at least about 0.020 g/mL, and water soluble hydrolysis products with molecular weight no higher than the molecular weight of pentanol. The solvent may be non-cyclic, non-aromatic, linear, and/or branched, and may have the general structure R1COOR2COOR3, wherein R1 and R3 are each linear or branched C3 to C5 groups and R2 is a linear or branched C3 to C8 group.

Abstract: A process is described for producing crude maleic anhydride from a reactor effluent stream containing maleic anhydride. The reactor effluent stream is contacted with a solvent having a normal boiling point between about 250° C. and about 350° C., solubility of fumaric acid at least about 0.06 wt % at 60° C., solubility of maleic anhydride at least about 10 wt % at 60° C., solubility in water no higher than about 100 mg/L, density different from the density of water by at least about 0.020 g/mL, and water soluble hydrolysis products with molecular weight no higher than the molecular weight of pentanol. The solvent may be non-cyclic, non-aromatic, linear, and/or branched, and may have the general structure R1COOR2COOR3, wherein R1 and R3 are each linear or branched C3 to C5 groups and R2 is a linear or branched C3 to C8 group.

Abstract: A tertiary butyl alcohol charge stock typically contaminated with from about 0.5 to about 2 wt. % of formates and peroxides, is passed through an oxygenates decomposition reactor containing a bed of a decomposition catalyst comprising rhodium, platinum, palladium or mixture thereof at a temperature of from about 100 to about 280C to decompose the peroxides and formates, and to dehydrate a portion of the tertiary butyl alcohol to form isobutylene and water to thereby form a non-corrosive tertiary butyl alcohol feedstock that is substantially free from formates that is suitable for reaction with methanol in a methyl tertiary butyl ether etherification reactor to form a non-corrosive methyl tertiary butyl ether etherification reaction product from which methyl tertiary butyl ether can be recovered.

Abstract: A tertiary butyl alcohol charge stock typically contaminated with from about 0.5 to about 2 wt. % of formates and peroxides, is passed through an oxygenates decomposition reactor containing a bed of a decomposition catalyst comprising rhodium, platinum, palladium or mixture thereof at a temperature of from about 100 to about 280.degree. C. to decompose the peroxides and formates, and to dehydrate a portion of the tertiary butyl alcohol to form isobutylene and water to thereby form a non-corrosive tertiary butyl alcohol feedstock that is substantially free from formates that is suitable for reaction with methanol in a methyl tertiary butyl ether etherification reactor to form a non-corrosive methyl tertiary butyl ether etherification reaction product from which methyl tertiary butyl ether can be recovered.