Application: To process C4 streams from steam cracker, refinery and isobutane dehydrogenation units to produce methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE).
Description: MTBE is formed by the catalytic etherification of isobutylene with methanol. The patented CDMtbe process is based on a two-step reactor design, consisting of a boiling point fixed-bed reactor followed by final conversion in a catalytic distillation column. The process uses an acidic ion-exchange resin catalyst in both its fixed-bed reactor and proprietary catalytic distillation structures.
The unique catalytic distillation column combines reaction and fractionation in a single unit operation. It allows a high conversion of isobutylene to be achieved simply and economically. By using distillation to separate the product from the reactants, the equilibrium limitation is exceeded and higher conversion of isobutylene is achieved.
Products: MTBE synthesis is a highly selective process for removal of isobutylene. It can be used for pretreatment to produce high-purity butene-1 or for recovery to make high-purity isobutylene via MTBE decomposition.
Process advantages: CDTECH’s catalytic distillation offers:
• Improved kinetics
• High conversion (beyond fixed bed-equilibrium limit)
• Low capital cost
• Low utilities
• Long catalyst life with sustained high conversion
• Reduced plot space
CDTECH’s boiling point reactor offers:
• Simple and effective control
• Elimination of hot spots
• Long catalyst life
• High flexibility
• Low capital cost
• Elimination of catalyst attrition
• Most effective heat removal technique
• Elimination of cooling water requirement.
Licensor: CDTECH.
