What is ETBE?

1, ETBE (Ethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether) ethyl tertiary butyl ether

Ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE) is an excellent high-octane gasoline blending component. ETBE, together with ethanol and MTBE, is a high-octane gasoline improver, also known as a "bio-gasoline additive. It is also called "bio-gasoline additive".

The maximum additive level of ETBE in gasoline is 17Vol%.ETBE can not only improve the effect of gasoline octane, but also can be used as a *** solvent.ETBE's boiling point is high, and mixed with hydrocarbons do not generate *** boiling compounds. ETBE can be used as a solvent to reduce gas resistance in the engine and to reduce evaporation losses, and it can also be decomposed by aerobic microorganisms.

ETBE not only improves the octane number of gasoline, but also improves the economy and safety of gasoline, so it is an excellent additive with great market potential.

ETBE synthesized raw materials: ethanol (EtOH) 47% and isobutylene (IB) 53%. That is:

BIO Ethanol (EtOH) with Water (H2O) (92-95vol%) + IB (Isobutene)

2. Bio-ETBE mixture (provided by IBF Corporation, Japan, please refer to "Attachment 1" for details)

Based on the understanding of ETBE in the general sense, the ETBE introduced here is supplied by IBF Co., Ltd. of Japan, and we call it Bio-ETBE Mixture here. It is a mixture of ETBE, TBA (acrylic acid butyl alcohol) and EtOH (ethanol) obtained by a series of processes using aqueous bioethanol (92-95 vol%) and isobutene (C4H8), and is a clean, high-octane gasoline improver.

IBF, after 13 years of technological research, has overcome the problem of the future of ethanol gasoline, and has developed the "Bio-ETBE Blend Manufacturing Technology" that is more competitive than the ETBE provided by the ETBE manufacturers already in production in Europe and the United States, and the technology for producing this product has been developed by IBF in Japan and the United States. Ltd. has applied for a patent in Japan and South Korea (Patent Application No. 2004-327533) and has started to apply for a patent in China.

Bio-ETBE blends are produced from plant residues and waste fermentation products used in the manufacture of bioethanol and methane from distillate, and are processed in a low-temperature, low-pressure process.

3. ETBE II (supplied by IBF Japan Corporation, see "Attachment 1" for details)

With the advanced "Bio-ETBE Blend Manufacturing Technology", IBF Japan Corporation is developing a Bio-ETBE Blend made from 100% bio-based raw materials. IBF is developing an experimental BioETBEII plant made from 100% bio-based raw materials, which will enable us to realize high production values and seek effective countermeasures against the greenhouse effect.

The fuels used to power automobiles, including gasoline, are currently obtained from underground sources, but ETBEII, which produces ETBE mixtures entirely from biomass, is excellent in terms of recycling of resources and countermeasures against the greenhouse effect. (Converting isobutylene from petrochemical fuel to biologically derived).

II. Background Information

1. "High-Octane Gasoline" and its Development Trends

Gasoline combusts in the cylinder of an automobile engine due to the lack of oxygen in the cylinder, incomplete combustion, and the machine vibrates intensely, resulting in a decrease in output and damage to the parts, which is known as the anti-knockout property of gasoline. Reflecting the gasoline anti-explosive digital indicators called octane number, is usually said to be the gasoline number, such as "90 #", "93 #" gasoline, refers to these gasoline anti-explosive, the higher the index, the better the anti-explosive.

The use of high-octane gasoline has become an important means of protecting automobile engines and improving automobile driving performance.

Improve the gasoline anti-knock approach is to add other chemical agents in gasoline. In the past, it was common to add tetraethyl lead, the result is the generation of leaded gasoline, due to the harm of lead on the human body, tetraethyl lead from 1997 in the world was banned. At present, the commonly used high-octane gasoline are 92, 93, 95, 97, 98 unleaded gasoline, ether compounds including methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), ethyl tertiary-butyl ether (ETBE), methyl tertiary-amyl ether (TAME) and so on, which is an excellent blending component for the production of unleaded, oxygenated, high-octane gasoline.

With the development of the times, the environmental protection issue is more and more emphasized by people. In order to reduce the pollution of the atmosphere caused by automobile exhaust, countries around the world have been formulating more and more stringent gasoline standards. Over the past decade, Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) has been used as a major additive in the U.S. New Formula Gasoline (RFG) and gasoline in many countries and regions (including Taiwan) to increase the octane rating of gasoline and reduce automotive emissions. However, in recent years, there have been incidents of oil tank leakage and MTBE contamination of groundwater in several states in the U.S. (especially in California), which have caused concern and panic. In recent years, scientific research has discovered the shortcomings of MTBE: it is not easy to decompose and pollutes groundwater to a certain extent; it has a small amount of odor, which makes drivers uncomfortable and can cause nausea, eye pain, herpes and other reactions. The U.S. has recently passed a "Clean Fuels Act" that will ban MTBE for four years starting in 2004.

Once MTBE is banned, questions will arise about what kind of compounds will be used to replace octane in gasoline, where the related production equipment will go, and what will happen to the raw material, isobutene. The question arises as to what compounds will replace octane in gasoline, what will happen to the associated production facilities and what will happen to the feedstock, isobutene. In the existing MTBE substitutes, ethanol (alcohol) is the most popular, but in the U.S. is facing a shortage of domestic supply and higher prices, although the government has tax incentives subsidies, but whether it is sustainable is questionable, and ethanol's Reisner's vapor pressure is quite high (18 psia) (for this reason, low Rvp blended with raw materials - isooctene is more desirable), plus the With the characteristics of easily absorbing dust and water-soluble impurities, it is not suitable for pipeline transportation, and its blending operation is usually carried out in oil depots. As for the isobutylene destination is currently under active development, one for the isobutylene to double polymerization to become isooctene, and then hydrogenated into a high-octane gasoline blending oil - isooctane, and ethanol synthesis of ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE); ETBE is the same category with MTBE, but its octane number is higher (111 [(R + M)/2]), Rexroth Vapor pressure is lower (4 psia), and water solubility is smaller than MTBE, so it is more suitable for gasoline oxygenated additives than ethanol, in addition, ETBE and iso-octane distillation range is narrower, which can improve the driving pointer (Drivability Index; DI) and blending VOC (volatile organic compounds) control, the U.S. Department of the Treasury has agreed to use ETBE blended with gasoline. The U.S. Department of the Treasury has agreed to provide tax incentives for the use of ETBE in gasoline blending.

Europe is the second largest market for MTBE, and the European Parliament has issued a directive targeting 5.75% of transportation fuel consumption (based on energy content) to come from biofuels by 2010. Biodiesel will be the primary biofuel. The vast majority of Europe's ethanol growth is expected to come in the form of ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE), with several MTBE plants already converted to produce ETBE, and other conversions plus a small number of new ETBE plants expected to be completed by 2010, increasing ETBE use to 2.15 to 2.57 million t/year. European ethanol use (as a direct blending component or ETBE feed) is expected to increase to 1.07 to 1.5 million tons/year.

Looking ahead, global gasoline specifications are becoming increasingly stringent, in addition to the two specifications for oxygen and sulfur content, other requirements including high octane, low Rvp, low olefin content and low aromatic hydrocarbon content will increase the cost of gasoline, and the future may also increase the "drivable pointer" one (DI<1,200); on the other hand, since MTBE has been in the shadow of elimination, refineries and MTBE manufacturers in the consideration of the cost of gasoline. On the other hand, as MTBE has been suspected of being phased out, refiners and MTBE manufacturers have to consider how to fully utilize the existing MTBE manufacturing equipment while considering the outlet of raw material isobutene, and how to synchronize the changes in the design of the four production processes of isooctene, isooctane, MTBE, and ETBE when building new factories.

2, MTBE, ETBE and fuel ethanol comparison

Gasoline octane improver (additives) is an aspect of high-octane gasoline technology. There are three legal gasoline improvers in the U.S.

a) MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether), b) ethanol (EtOH) and c) ETBE (ethyl tertiary butyl ether).

ETBE along with ethanol and MTBE are all such gasoline improvers or called additives. Mixing them into gasoline in a certain proportion not only improves gasoline performance, but also is clean and environmentally friendly. (No lead, no pollution).

(1) MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether): Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether

--Added to the maximum amount of 15Vol%

MTBE is an aliphatic ether, the molecular formula is C5 H12 O, molecular weight is 88.14, specific gravity 0.741 (20%). The molecular weight is 88.14, specific gravity is 0.741 (20℃), viscosity is 0.27 (20℃), and it has the odor of ether.

Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) is the earliest developed and applied ether octane improver. Since 1979, when the EPA approved the use of MTBE as an additive to unleaded gasoline, it has been widely used in blended gasoline in the U.S. MTBE's boiling point is relatively low, and blending it into gasoline lowers the gasoline's distillation temperature. This effect brings great economic benefits to refineries producing ultra-high octane gasoline.

MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether) is commonly used at present, and many countries, including ours, rely on imports because of the difficulty of its production. In recent years, scientific research has discovered the shortcomings of MTBE: it is not easy to decompose, there is a certain degree of pollution of groundwater; it has a small amount of odor, making drivers uncomfortable, can cause nausea, eye pain, herpes and other reactions. The United States has recently passed a "Clean Fuels Act" that will ban MTBE over the next four years, and most of the growth in ethanol in Europe is expected to come in the form of ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE).

(2) Ethanol (EtOH): Alcohol

- Maximum amount added is 10Vol%

Alcohol is scientifically known as ethanol, with the chemical molecular formula C2 H6 O (CH3-CH2-OH) and molecular weight of 46.

Ethanol is both a basic chemical raw material and a new energy source. The future market direction of ethanol as a basic industry will be mainly reflected in three aspects: First, automotive fuel, mainly ethanol gasoline and ethanol diesel. This is what we traditionally call the fuel ethanol market. Fuel ethanol is added to gasoline in a certain proportion, not simply as a substitute for the use of oil, but an excellent oil quality improver, or oxygenator. It is also a high-octane blending component of gasoline. Ethanol is better than MTBE both in terms of oxygenating effect and environmental protection. Therefore, in China, the production and promotion of ethanol additives is directly adopted instead of taking the road of MTBE from the beginning.

(3) ETBE (Ethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether): Ethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (ETBE)

--Added to the maximum amount of 17Vol%, with ethanol 47% and isobutylene 53% mixed with made

With the same as the MTBE, put the Ethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (ETBE) Like MTBE, ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE) is blended into gasoline, which is equivalent to blending ethanol into gasoline.ETBE is not only more effective than MTBE in raising the octane rating of gasoline, but can also be used as a *** solvent.ETBE's boiling point is high, and it does not produce *** boiling compounds when mixed with hydrocarbons. ETBE can be broken down by aerobic microorganisms, but MTBE cannot. ETBE not only improves the octane rating of gasoline, but also makes gasoline more economical and safer than gasoline with MTBE, so it has great market potential.

Conclusion:

A. Compared with MTBE, ETBE not only improves the octane number of gasoline, but also can be used as a *** solvent. And it makes gasoline more economical and safer than gasoline with MTBE.

B. ETBE has a higher boiling point and does not produce *** boiling compounds when mixed with hydrocarbons. This reduces both gas resistance in the engine and evaporative losses.

C. The narrower distillation range of ETBE and iso-octane improves the Drivability Index (DI) and VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) control during blending.

D. ETBE has a higher octane number, lower Reich's vapor pressure, and less water solubility than MTBE, so it is more suitable for use as an oxygenated additive to gasoline than ethanol, and therefore ETBE has a great market potential.

3, ETBE synthesis technology (see "Annex 2")

With the gradual banning of MTBE, ETBE research is more and more people's attention. At present, foreign ether synthesis technology has been very mature, MTBE, TAME, ETBE have industrial production. In China, only MTBE has realized large-scale industrial production, TAME synthesis technology is in the stage of industrial implementation, and ETBE synthesis technology is still in the research stage.ETBE is generally produced by the reaction between isobutene in mixed C4 and ethanol under the action of acid catalyst, which is an exothermic reaction, and basically the catalyst used in the industrial production is a macroporous sulfuric acid-type ion-exchange resin. The side reaction is mainly the dimerization and hydration of ethylene butene.

From the reactor form, ETBE production technology can be divided into fixed-bed technology and catalytic distillation technology. With fixed-bed technology, the equipment is simple and easy to operate, but the isobutylene conversion rate is limited by thermodynamic equilibrium, and can only reach a maximum of 92% (at high temperature and high pressure), and the reaction heat is not utilized. Catalytic distillation technology breaks the thermodynamic equilibrium of the reaction, isobutene conversion rate can reach more than 99.5%, etherification of C4 basically does not contain isobutene, can be used to produce 1-butene, butadiene and other basic chemical materials, and the reaction heat is used for product separation, reducing energy consumption. Therefore, catalytic distillation synthesis of ETBE technology is more competitive in industrial production, and the key to the technology is the method of loading the catalyst in the catalytic distillation tower.

Catalytic distillation technology is the direction of development of ETBE production technology, in addition, ethanol recovery technology is an important part of the ETBE production technology, the current osmotic vaporization membrane separation and recovery of ethanol technology with low energy consumption, the prospect of better. At present, foreign ETBE production technology has been very mature, the international companies with ETBE production technology are mainly the French Institute of Petroleum (IFP), the United States catalytic distillation technology (CDTECH) company, ARCO chemical technology (ARCO) company, United Oil Products (UOP) company, Philips Petroleum (Phillips) company. China's domestic research ETBE production technology units are not many mostly in the small pilot stage.