ARTICLE IN PRESS CHERD-1418; No. of Pages 13 chemical engineering research and design x x x ( 2 0 1 3 ) xxx-xxx ethyl tert-butyl ether formation, tert-amyl ethyl ether formation from isoamylenes (2-methyl-1-butene and 2-methyl-2-butene) and isomerization reaction between both isoamylenes. Equilibrium data were obtained in a batchwise
IntroductionIn order to reduce hazardous and evaporative gasoline exhausts and from refueling emissions, as well as their environmental impact at the time that engines energetic efficiency is enhanced, new legislation and major efforts have been devoted to fuel reformulation. The European Directive 2009/28/EC promotes the usage of combustibles from renewable resources, such as bioethanol, and the directive 2009/30/EC establishes the main guidelines related to fuel reformulation.As it is well known, olefins of the C 5 fraction from oil, mainly the reactive isoamylenes (IA) 2-methyl-1-butene (2M1B) and 2-methyl-2-butene (2M2B), present some disadvantages as components of a gasoline, particularly in tropical zones. This is because these are the olefins with the highest * Corresponding author. Tel.: +34 934034769; fax: +34 934021291. E-mail addresses: rsotolop7@alumnes.ub.edu (R. Soto), fite@ub.edu (C. Fité), eliana.ramirez-rangel@ub.edu (E. Ramírez), rogerbringue@ub.edu (R. Bringué), fcunill@ub.edu (F. Cunill).Received 25 Reid vapor pressure (RVP), the highest atmospheric reactivity, the highest potential of tropospheric ozone formation (around 90%) and these are the largest amount of the olefins present in a gasoline (above 25 wt.% of the C 5 fraction from fluid catalytic cracking, FCC) (Rock et al., 1992). Thus, to diminish the impact of their use as fuel components on the environment, the reduction of the content of these compounds by means of either its etherification with primary alcohols or via oligomerization would result in a more suitable alternative than the reduction of the total olefin content of a gasoline. Oxygenated compounds have been gradually gaining importance in the gasoline market since lead compounds were banned as octane enhancers. The two main types of oxygenates used as high octane additives are alcohols and ethers. Among alcohols, the most widely used is ethanol (EtOH), whereas the main tertiary ethers are methyl tert-buty ether