Process for producing diisopropyl ether from propane

An integrated process to produce diisopropyl ether from propane has been developed. In a first reaction zone the propane in a feedstock, after any hydrocarbons containing four or more carbon atoms are removed from the feedstock via fractionation, is dehydrogenated in the presence of a dehydrogenation catalyst to form propylene. After removing hydrogen, the propane and propylene mixture generated in the first reaction zone is separated into a propane enriched stream and a propylene enriched stream where the propylene enriched stream contains at least 65 mass % propylene. The propane enriched stream is recycled to the feedstock fractionation unit, and the propylene of the propylene enriched stream is reacted with water in a second reaction zone in the presence of an acidic catalyst to form isopropyl alcohol which is concurrently reacted with propylene to produce diisopropyl ether. A portion of the second reaction zone effluent is recycled to the second reaction zone, and the remainder may be collected or further separated to provide a high purity diisopropyl ether product. A variant to produce high purity propylene as well as diisopropyl ether is also discussed.