Process Description

Process 1:
A Fluidized Bed Reactor was used in the process. Fluidized Bed Reactors are reactors which are
catalytic and its catalyst is fluidized in the reactor. This reactor can handle a large amount of feeds and
catalyst. In this process, a chromium catalyst was used in fluidized bed reactor that has the same feature
as fluidized cracking technology that is used in different oil refineries with 65% isobutene , when converted
will produce to isobutene.
Reaction in the process:
iC 4 H 10 iC 4 H 8+ H 2

The catalysts will fill the small ring like part which is connected to withdrawn the bottom part of the
reactor and will go to the top of reactor. Catalyst that will remove from the bottom of the reactor will be
transmitted to a separate regeneration section for the transformation. The catalyst will be then recirculated
from the reactor to regenation for about 30-60 min cycle. The regeneration section can stopped its
operation even if it is for a week, without interfering the dehydrogenation process in the reactor. Vaporized
isobutane will be the feed next to catalyst to the first reactor and the consumed catalyst will be separated
from the product and will go to the regenerator where air is combined to oxidize the carbon. From the
reactor, it will crack the isobutene forming coke in the catalyst. From forming coke in the catalyst, the coke
is burned off in the regenerator and then the catalysts of will go back to the reactor. The science of this
process is that, when you combine the reactor and the regenerator it will give a solution to the coking
problem and it will control the heat management.

The process has an unchanging temperature, operating at a low pressure, and it has a low
pressure drop.

Process #2:
Methanol and the mixed butylenes feed is pumped and heated to reaction conditions. Both the
methanol and the mixed butylenes are made in on-site units, and are sent to this unit at the desired
conditions. The reactor operates in the vicinity of 30 bar, to ensure that the reaction occurs in the liquid
phase. The reaction is reversible. The feed temperature to the reactor is usually maintained below 90C to
obtain favorable equilibrium behavior. Any side reactions involving 1-butene and 2-butene form small
amounts of products with similar fuel blending characteristics, so side reactions are assumed to be
unimportant. Other side reactions are minimized by keeping the methanol present in excess. The reactor
effluent is distilled, with MTBE as the bottom product. Methanol is recovered from the mixed butylenes in a
methanol absorber and water scrubber, and the methanol is subsequently separated from water so that
unreacted methanol can be recycled. Unreacted butylenes are sent back to the refinery for further
processing. The MTBE product is further purified, mostly to remove the trace amounts of water. The
product stream contains at least 94 mol % MTBE, with the MTBE portion of the stream flowrate at
specifications.

Process #3: Production of Methyl t-Butyl Ether from Crude Oil Refinery Waste
In the production of MTBE from crude oil refinery waste, there are five reactions that occur. The
first step is the partial oxidation of the carbon and hydrogen in the refinery waste using pure oxygen:
CnHm (l) + n/2 O2 (g) n CO (g) + m/2 H2 (g)

(1)

The water gas shift reaction, which is used to adjust the H 2 to CO ratio for the optimal production of
methanol:
CO (g) + H2O (g) CO2 (g) + H2 (g)

(2)

Methanol is then produced from carbon monoxide and hydrogen by the reaction:
CO (g) + 2 H2 (g) CH3OH (g)

(3)

A side reaction occurs when producing methanol, the formation of dimethyl ether and water from carbon
monoxide and hydrogen:
2 CO (g) + 4 H2 (g) C2H6O (g) + H2O (g)

(4)

The final reaction involves the production of MTBE from methanol and isobutylene:
CH3OH (l) + C4H8 (l) C5H12O (l)

The final process involves the conversion of methanol and isobutylene to MTBE. The methanol must be fed
to an MTBE reactor where methanol and isobutylene are reacted to form MTBE. It is fed on order to
facilitate the removal of MTBE in the MTBE separation column. The isobutylene feed to the MTBE reactor
is contained in a stream of mixed hydrocarbons. The product is then separated from the MTBE reactor in a
pressurized distillation column. The overhead stream is then further cooled and fed into a liquid-liquid
extraction unit, where water is ised to recover some methanol fed to the extractor. The water-methanol
extract stream is cooled and fed to a drum where all remaining organics are removed in the vapor product,
and the water and methanol leave as liquid. The water removed from the distillation column is cooled and
recycled to the liquid-liquid extraction unit as the feed solvent stream.

Introduction
Methyl tertiary-butyl ether (methyl t-butyl ether, MTBE) is a colorless liquid with a boiling point of
55C and a density of 0.74 g/mL. In MTBE one carbon atom is that of a methyl group, -CH 3, and the other
is the central atom in a tertiary butyl group, -C (CH 3)3. MTBE is made by reacting methanol, made from
natural gas, with isobutylene (2-methyl-1-propene) in the liquid state, using an acidic catalyst at 100C.
MTBE is used mainly as a high octane gasoline blending component. It replaces lead compounds and
provides good anti-knock characteristics.
According to (SABIC corporation, 2015), Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) is a colorless liquid
with a characteristic mild odor. Its principal characteristics are miscibility with gasoline, low blending vapor
pressure and distillation properties. MTBE is slightly soluble in water without phase separation problems.
Compared to other oxygenated fuels, it has lower blending density, lower blending vapor pressure and no
corrosion problems. MTBE can be shipped or stored in conventional fuel tanks. Nitrogen purging is strongly
recommended in case of loading vessels in hot weather. Acid or iron rust contamination should be avoided.
MTBE does not form peroxide compounds on long period storage.
It is one of a group of chemicals commonly known as oxygenates because they raise
the oxygen content of gasoline. Its IUPAC name is 2-Methoxy-2-methylpropane. Its other names are
Methyl tert-butyl ether, tert-Butyl methyl ether.
Methyl tertiary butyl ether is an antiknock additive presently used in gasoline blends as a safer
alternative to lead compounds, is currently synthesized industry from methanol and isobutene over an
acidic ion-exchange resin Amberlyst-15. This commercial catalyst, although very active, still suffers from
several drawbacks such as thermal instability, acid leaching, and need of a high methanol over isobutene
ratio. Zeolites for their higher thermal stability and shape selectivity were thus proposed to remedy to such
disadvantages. However, they did not show a surface acidity which is as high as that of the organic resin.
(Le, 2000)
MTBE is an effective octane booster for unleaded gasoline. It also acts as a volume extender, by
adding volume to the gasoline pool and by reducing the severity of the naphtha reforming and related
conversion operations. Industrial processes for the production of MTBE are based on liquid phase reaction
of methanol with isobutene over an acidic ion-exchange resin. Most of the processes are carried out
between 35 ~ and 90~ lower temperatures favor more complete conversion and longer catalyst lives but
lower reaction rates. (Adams, Martin, McCabe, & Murray, 1986)