abstract |
The present invention relates to a process for making essentially ethylene and propylene comprising : a) providing an alcohol mixture (A) comprising about 20 w% to 100% isobutanol, b) introducing in a reactor (A) a stream comprising the mixture (A) mixed with methanol or dimethyl ether or mixture thereof, optionally water, optionally an inert component, c) contacting said stream with a catalyst (A1) in said reactor (A), the MTO reactor, at conditions effective to convert at least a part of the alcohol mixture (A) and at least a part of the methanol and/or dimethyl ether to olefins, d) recovering from said reactor (A) an effluent comprising : ethylene, propylene, butene, water, optionally unconverted alcohols, various hydrocarbons, and the optional inert component of step b), e) fractionating said effluent of step d) to produce at least an ethylene stream, a propylene stream, a fraction consisting essentially of hydrocarbons having 4 carbon atoms or more, water and the optional inert component of step a), optionally recycling ethylene in whole or in part at the inlet of the reactor (A), optionally recycling the fraction consisting essentially of hydrocarbons having 4 carbon atoms or more at the inlet of the reactor (A). |