| abstract |
Alkyl tert.-alkyl ethers can be cleaved into the underlying alkanols and tert.-olefins in the presence of strongly acidic substances in a column apparatus, the strongly acidic substance being made available at the foot of the column. A particularly advantageous process design results when a water stream is fed below the top column tray in countercurrent to the tert.-olefin flowing upwards and is taken off again from the column above the bottom circulation; in the case of using an insoluble, strongly acidic substance, the latter is located in a catalyst bed at the foot of the column, and the alkyl tert.-alkyl ether is preferably fed in between the catalyst bed and the bottom circulation evaporator. |