The invention relates to a process for obtaining isobutene from an isobutene containing C4-
hydrocarbon mixture (1) in a
plant comprising an etherification unit (3), a first
distillation unit (5), an
ether cleavage unit (8) and a second
distillation unit (10), the process comprising: (a) contacting the C4-
hydrocarbon mixture (1) with a
primary alcohol (2) and reacting the mixture with the
primary alcohol in the presence of an acidic catalyst to form the corresponding
alkyl tert-butyl
ether as an
intermediate product and diisobutene as a by-product in the etherification unit (3); (b) distilling the reaction mixture (4) from the etherification unit (3) in the first
distillation unit (5), a C4-
hydrocarbon raffinate being withdrawn as the overhead product (6), the
alkyl tert-butyl
ether and diisobutene being withdrawn as the liquid or vaporous bottom product (7), and vaporizing the bottom product (7) if it is withdrawn as a liquid; (c) reacting the vaporous bottom product (7) in the presence of an acidic catalyst obtaining isobutene and the
primary alcohol as reaction products in the ether cleavage unit (8); (d) distilling the reaction mixture (9) from the ether cleavage unit (8) in the second distillation unit (10), isobutene being withdrawn as the overhead product (11), the primary
alcohol and diisobutene being withdrawn as the bottom product (12) and being recycled to the etherification unit (3); the
plant further comprising a byproduct separation unit (15) being fed by a bottom purge
stream (13) of the first distillation unit (5) and / or by a part of the bottom product of the second distillation unit (10), this feed
stream (14) being split up in at least three byproduct streams wherein a first byproduct
stream (16) is rich in diisobutene, a second byproduct stream (17) is rich in the primary
alcohol, and a third byproduct stream (18) is rich in components with a normal
boiling point higher than 110° C.