| abstract |
The present invention relates to a process for preparing 2,3-dimethylbutane which comprises contacting in a reaction zone isobutane with a supported catalyst comprising a tungsten hydride and a support comprising an aluminium oxide, so as to form a reaction mixture comprising 2,3-dimethylbutane. The contacting essentially leads to performing a metathesis reaction of the isobutane, with a very high specificity in the formation of 2,3- dimethylbutane. The catalyst is preferably a tungsten hydride grafted onto a support based on aluminium oxide. The support can be chosen from aluminium oxides, mixed aluminium oxides and modified aluminium oxides. The reaction mixture can be isolated and preferably subjected to one or more fractionating operations in order to recover 2,3- dimethylbutane and optionally one or more other components of the reaction mixture, such as C5+ alkanes. The process can comprise isolating from the reaction mixture the C5+ alkanes including 2,3-dimethylbutane as a single component, which can be blended with gasoline to enhance the gasoline octane number, or be used as a gasoline blendstock. At least one separated fraction containing 2,3-dimethylbutane can be isolated from the single component, which can be blended with gasoline to enhance the gasoline octane number, or be used as a gasoline blendstock. |