ISOMERIZATION OF n-BUTANE (Isobutane Production)

Because of the increasing demand for isobutylene for the production of oxygenates as gasoline additives, a substantial amount of n-butane is isomerized to isobutane, which is further dehydrogenated to isobutene.

The Butamer process (Figure 1.1) has a fixed-bed reactor containing a highly selective catalyst that promotes the conversion of n-butane to isobutane equilibrium mixture.

Figure 1.1. The UOP Butamer process for isomerization of n-butane to isobutane: (1,2) deisobutanizer, (3) reactor, (4) separator (for separation and recycling H₂), (5,6) stabilizer.

Isobutane is then separated in a deisobutanizer tower. The n-butane is recycled with make-up hydrogen. The isomerization reaction occurs at a relatively low temperature: