Dronami_inc
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Registered: 10-2-2011
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MTBE Hydrolysis
I have a couple of liters of methyl tert-butyl ether, but I don't need it. I need tert-butanol and a little methanol as well.
How do I hydrolyze it?
Maybe with dilute sulfuric acid? I read somewhere that the output will be isobutylene. Can I hydrate it to tert-butyl alcohol using phosphoric acid?
By the way, MTBE evaporates through seemingly properly sealed containers. This would be fine, but it severely irritates mucous membranes and causes
discomfort.
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Dr.Bob
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It will be hard to break that ether bond. You could treat it with concentrated acid and the t-butyl will eliminate as isobutane, leaving methanol,
but that can be a tough reaction to control, and the isobutane will either escape or react back with the methanol in a reversible manner. So if you
would have to trap or blow away (with a stream of N2 or such) the isobutane to drive the reaction forward. Methanol is cheap, and isobutene is hard
to hydrate. If you are in the US, I have some small amounts of t-butanol I can provide, if you really want it.
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jackchem2001
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I would think cold dilute sulfuric acid could work, passing the exhaust gases through more acidified water to improve yield. If the result is poor
with too much isobutene loses, maybe try HBr, but I don't think the result will be much different
Unrelated to the thread, search for Most Things Biodegrade Easier for an interesting read
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