Isobaric Vapour Liquid Equilibrium at 101.3 kPa for the Binary Mixtures 2-Methyl-2-Butene / Methanol and Isopentane / Methanol

Abstract

Due to the increased interest for using tertiary ethers as fuel additives (such as TAME – tert-amyl-methyl-ether synthesis), the research intensified to study its thermodynamic aspects. Mathematical modelling of tertiary ethers synthesis includes a number of elements characterizing the process thermodynamics. The liquid – vapour equilibrium data is used to get an insight about the deviations from ideal behaviour of the components in the two phases. This kind of information needed to characterize the process thermodynamics are widely available in literature, but sometimes with doubts related to accuracy, which leads to the necessity of experimental checking.
TAME is formed by reaction of isoamylenes present in FCC C₅-fraction (2-methyl-1-butene and 2-methyl- 2-butene) with methanol (MeOH). The main inert compound present in the C₅-fraction is isopentane. The isobaric vapour-liquid equilibrium data (T-x-y) for the binary mixtures of methanol and 2-methyl-2-butene, methanol and isopentane are experimentally determined at 101.3 kPa.
The study performed gives a thorough determination of the whole binary system equilibrium data by means of a dynamic ebullometer Fisher 602 VLE. The analysis of both liquid and vapour phases were performed using a HP 5890 Series II Plus Gas Chromatograph with FID detector.