Synthesis of alkyl tert-alkyl ether using haloacid-modified clay catalysts

A process for the preparation of alkyl tertiary-alkyl ether from tertiary alcohol and primary alcohol in the presence of a catalyst, characterised in that a montmorillonite clay modified with a haloacid from the group of haloaliphatic carboxylic acids, haloaromatic carboxylic acids, haloaromaticsulfonic acids, haloaliphaticsulfonic acids and hydrogen chloride is used as a catalyst. The method is preferred for the reaction of t-butanol with methanol in one step to provide methyl tert-butyl ether.