N-Butane, derivation

Maleic Anhydride. Prior to 1975, benzene was the feedstock of choice for maleic anhydride manufacture. By the early 1980s, for economic reasons, many producers had switched to the n-butane process described in the section n-Butane Derivatives . By 1988, all of the maleic anhydride produced in the United States came from that process. However, about half of the maleic anhydride produced abroad still comes from benzene oxidation, with a small amount being recovered as a coproduct in phthalic anhydride manufacture. 

---