Disclosed is a process for integrating a butene dimerization process with
a metathesis process to remove isobutene from the feed stream to the
metathesis reactor. The isobutene is preferentially dimerized in the
dimerization process to leave n-butenes for metathesis with ethylene. An
upstream selective hydrogenation process also isomerizes 1-butenes to
2-butenes which is the preferred butene reagent in the metathesis
process. A common fractionator column for the dimerization and
hydrogenation processes is also described.