# Isomerizing butane into isobutene

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isomerizing-butane-into-isobutene/215401>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 26, 2003, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isomerizing-butane-into-isobutene/215401 "2003-11-26T15:53:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![TaxGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@TaxGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TaxGuy)\
**Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isomerizing-butane-into-isobutene/215401/1 "2003-11-26T15:53:16Z")

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Can somoeone give me a quick and dirty explanation (one that a tax lawyer can understand) of what it means to isomerize butane into isobutene?

I know that when processing certain olefins (I think propane into propylene), the basic thing happening is that an oxygen molecule is being added to the propane. Is something similar to that occurring here?

For my purposes, there’s a difference between (1) refining a “mineral or natural resource” (i.e., removing impurities, or separating a mineral or natural resource into different things) and (2) processing beyond the refining stage (i.e., turning a refined product into a new product). So I’m trying to figure out which category the isomerization of butane into isobutene falls into, and I’m pretty sure it’s the second one.

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![TaxGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@TaxGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TaxGuy)\
**Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isomerizing-butane-into-isobutene/215401/2 "2003-11-26T17:51:30Z")

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OK, google (and a book I found in our library) was my friend, so here’s what I’ve got. I’d appreciate any correction from one of you chem e types:

> [@](#):
>
> Isomerization is a process by which petroleum products are either converted from straight-chain to branch-chain hydrocarbons or from alicyclic to aromatic hydrocarbons to increase their suitability for high-octane motor fuels. Specifically, the isomerization of butane into isobutene converts CH3CH2CH2CH3 into CH3CH3CHCH3.

(the numbers are subscripts, obviously, but I don’t wanna do all the coding)

Thanks.