The etherification between ethanol (EtOH) and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) in the liquid phase under atmospheric pressure for the production of ethyl tert-butyl ether was studied. Three kinds of strong acid cation-exchange resins, Amberlyst 15 (A-15), S-54 and D-72 in the H+ form, were used as the catalysts. The effects of temperature, water inhibition, catalyst loading and the reactants molar ratio on the reaction were investigated. The kinetic parameters, such as the activation energy and inhibition coefficient of water were also compared for the catalysts used. Among the catalysts tested, D-72 shows the highest activity, and S-54 shows the highest selectivity and the lowest effect of water inhibition for the production of ethyl tert-butyl ether. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.