The UOP/HYDRO Methanol-to-Olefins (MTO) Process produces ethylene and propylene from methanol derived from raw materials such as natural gas, coal, petroleum coke or biomass.
This process consists of a reactor section, including a catalyst regenerator and product recovery section. One or more fluidizedbed reactors (1) are used with catalyst transfer to and from the catalyst regenerator (2). The robust MTO-100 catalyst is based on a nonzeolitic molecular sieve. Methanol is fed to a low-pressure reactor (1), where it is converted (99%) to olefins with a very high selectivity to ethylene and propylene. The recovery section design depends on product use, but it contains a product water and oxygenate recovery and recycle system (3), a CO2 removal system (4), a dryer (5), a deethanizer (6), an acetylene converter (7), a demethanizer (8) and a depropanizer (9). The process can produce polymer-grade ethylene and propylene by including C2 and C3 splitter columns in the recovery section. The MTO process is combined with an Olefin Cracking Process (OCP) unit to further increase yields by converting C4+ byproducts into ethylene and propylene.
Yields: The MTO process consumes 3 tons of methanol feed per ton of light olefin (ethylene + propylene) produced. The weight ratio of propylene product to ethylene product can be selected within the range of 0.8 to 1.3. When combined with OCP, the Advanced MTO process consumes 2.6 tons of methanol feed per ton of light olefin (ethylene + propylene) produced. The weight ratio of propylene product to ethylene product for Advanced MTO can be selected within the range of 1.2 to 1.8.
Licensor: UOP LLC, A Honeywell Company
