An improved process for the recovery of the ethylene contained in industrial gases, for the manufacture of alcohol or ether

摘要

Ethylene is removed from industrial gases by passing them through warm concentrated sulphuric acid maintained at a temperature not exceeding 40-50 DEG C. and containing as catalyzing material a lower oxide or salt of a metal possessing more than one valency, viz., iron, cobalt, nickel, cerium, manganese, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, titanium or tin; the resulting ethyl hydrogen sulphate is then hydrolyzed in the known manner to produce alcohol or ether. Ferrous sulphate, cuprous chloride, copper sub-oxide and cuprous sulphate are specifically mentioned as catalysts; higher oxides and salts of the metals may be employed, provided that a reducing substance be present. The catalysts are insoluble in the sulphuric acid and are recovered from the product for re-use. The industrial gases referred to comprise natural gas, coke oven gas, illuminating gas, gases obtained by cracking oils, schist gases and synthetic ethylenes; preferably they are first freed from benzol, ammonia, water, sulphur compounds, acetylene hydrocarbons and ethylene homologues. An example is given of the recovery of ethylene from illuminating gas by passing the purified gas through a column containing pumice in which circulates sulphuric acid of 66 DEG Bae containing four per cent of copper sub-oxide and maintained at a temperature of 35-40 DEG C.