i used tfse and couldn't find anything what is the difference between pet ether and di ethel ether?
the patent i'm looking at for the acid base treaction doesnt state which one to use do voth have the same properties?

They are not the same thing.

Diethyl ether: CH₃CH₂-O-CH₂CH₃

Petroleum ether: CH₃CH₂CH₂CH₂CH₂CH₃ (and isomers/analogs)

They are both non-polar solvents, so they are both immiscible with water, but diethyl ether is somewhat more polar than pet ether, so most compounds usually has a better solubility in the former.