Highly efficient approach to the synthesis of 2-Chloro-2-methylbutane in a continuous-flow microreactor

2-Chloro-2-methylbutane is an important organic compound widely used as a starting material in organic synthesis. It is mainly produced by the addition reaction of isoamylene and hydrochloric acid. As a raw material, isoamylene has a low boiling point and an extremely low flash point, making it a high-risk material in large-scale industrial productions. In this paper, a highly efficient production of 2-Chloro-2-methylbutane was realized using a continuous flow micro-channel reactor. Through the back pressure system of the reactor, the fluid pressure was increased, which elevated the reaction temperature, and enhanced the rate of reaction. The obtained optimal reaction conditions for the process were a reaction temperature of 90°C, pressure of 0.67 MPa, residence time of reactants of 15 min, n (hydrochloric acid): n (isoamylene) = 2.80:1.00, and v (hydrochloric acid): v (isoamylene) = 4.40:1.76. Compared with a batch process, the micro-channel process significantly shortened the reaction time and conversion a continuous and an efficient production. Computational analysis using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation software was used to simulate the two-phase flow in the micro-channel reactor, and the results were consistent with the experimental results.