Vapor-phase addition of methanol to isobutene on a macroporous resin. A kinetic study

The authors describe a study of the kinetics of the vapor-phase addition of methanol to isobutene to give methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) on the ion-exchange resin Amberlyst 15. Rate data were obtained in a continuous differential reactor operated at atmospheric pressure and 41-61.5{sup 0}C. The best-fitting Langmuir-Hinshelwood-Hougen-Watson (LHHW) rate equation is derived from a mechanism whose rate-determining step is the reaction between the methanol adsorbed molecularly on one center and the isobutene adsorbed on two centers. This mechanism is thermodynamically consistent.