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Bernard TORCK: Engineer from the École des hautes études industrielles de Lille and the École nationale Òsupérieure du pétrole et des moteurs - Doctoral engineer at the University of Paris - Expert, Strategy-Economy-Program Department, IFP (Institut Français du Pétrole)
INTRODUCTION
The hydration of olefins (or alkenes) is used industrially to obtain alcohols by adding water to the double bond of olefins. While the first industrial units were mainly concerned with the reverse reaction of dehydration of alcohols, obtained by fermentation, into olefins, the installation of steam crackers producing large quantities of olefins with 2 to 4 carbon atoms helped to gradually promote the production of alcohols by hydration.
This article deals with the thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of olefin hydration reactions, catalysts and reaction mechanisms. Industrial processes for obtaining 2-butanol, ethanol and 2-propanol are then described.
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Hydration of olefins
Thermodynamics of hydration
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