PROCESS AND CATALYST FOR CRACKING OF ETHERS AND ALCOHOLS

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF OLEFINS FROM AT LEAST ONE OF AN ALCOHOL AND ETHER, THE PROCESS INCLUDING: CONTACTING AT LEAST ONE ALCOHOL OR ETHER WITH A HYDROFLUORIC ACID- TREATED AMORPHOUS SYNTHETIC ALUMINA-SILICA CATALYST UNDER DECOMPOSITION CONDITIONS TO PRODUCE AN OLEFIN. ALSO DISCLOSED IS A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ISOBUTYLENE FROM METHYL TERTIARY BUTYL ETHER, THE PROCESS INCLUDING: FEEDING METHYL TERTIARY BUTYL ETHER (MTBE) TO A REACTOR HAVING AT LEAST ONE REACTION ZONE CONTAINING A HYDROFLUORIC ACID-TREATED AMORPHOUS SYNTHETIC ALUMINA-SILICA CATALYST; CONTACTING THE MTBE WITH THE HYDROFLUORIC ACID-TREATED AMORPHOUS SYNTHETIC ALUMINA-SILICA CATALYST UNDER DECOMPOSITION CONDITIONS TO PRODUCE A REACTOR EFFLUENT COMPRISING ISOBUTYLENE, UNREACTED MTBE, HEAVIES, AND METHANOL; FEEDING THE REACTOR EFFLUENT TO A FIRST DISTILLATION COLUMN; SEPARATING THE ISOBUTYLENE FROM THE UNREACTED MTBE, HEAVIES, AND THE METHANOL IN THE FIRST DISTILLATION COLUMN TO RECOVER A FIRST BOTTOMS FRACTION COMPRISING HEAVIES, UNREACTED MTBE, AND METHANOL AND AN ISOBUTYLENE-RICH OVERHEADS FRACTION.