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Production of Olefins from Methanol (MTO)

Final Year Project

Project Supervisor
Mr. Muhammad Umar Mushtaq

Group Members
Sami Ullah (GL) (UW-17-Che-BSc-021)
Dawar Abbas (UW-17-Che-BSc-009)
Bilal Sarfaraz (UW-17-Che-BSc-002)
Touseef Iqbal (UW-17-Che-BSc-005)
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 Presentation Contents

Introduction
Motivation for project
Capacity selection
Process selection
Process Flow Diagram
Material balance
Energy balance

Date:14/1/2021
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 Introduction

 In the Methanol to Olefins (MTO) process, the

Ethylene
methanol is then converted to olefins such as Crude oil
Propylene
ethylene and propylene. The olefins can be
reacted to produce polyolefin, which are used to
make many plastic materials.

 The MTO process was first reported in the early Coal Syngas Methanol
1970s by Chang and Silvestri of Mobil Company.

Ammonia
synthesis

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 Olefins
 Olefins are class of hydrocarbons with a single double bond and chemical formula CnH2n. The
two most olefins are ethylene and propylene.

 Olefins are examples of unsaturated hydrocarbons

• Olefins include ethylene, propylene, and butadiene.

 Ethylene and propylene are important sources of industrial chemicals and plastic products

 Olefins are produced by cracking

 Olefins are also called primary petrochemicals

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 Properties of Propylene & Ethylene
Table 01: Properties of Ethylene and Propylene

Properties Propylene Ethylene

Molecular weight 42.08 28.054

Melting point 87.9 K 104 K
Normal boiling point 225.46 K 169.35 K
Normal vapor density 1.91kg/m3 1.26 kg/m3
Critical temperature 365.57 K 282.35 K
Critical pressure 4.6646Mpa 5.0408 MPa
Critical density 223.4kg/m3 214.2 kg/m3
Odor Practically odorless Sweet
Flash point 162 0F -213 °F
Density 0.609 at -52.6 °F 0.569 at -154.84 °F
Vapor density 1.46 at 32 °F 0.98 (Air = 1)
Vapor pressure 1 mm Hg at -205.4 °F 5.21e+04 mmHg
Auto ignition Temperature 851 °F 842 °F
Heat of Combustion -19,692 Btu/lb -1411.2 kJ/mol
Color Colorless Colorless
Physical state Gas Gas
18.42 kJ/mol
Heat of Vaporization 13.53 kJ/mol
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 Motivation for the Project
 If one of these two chemicals is imported in Pakistan and a plant is set up in Pakistan, then the
transportation cost and import cost will not remain. Pakistan will benefit a lot in the future. We
want to design a plant of production of olefins from methanol in the Pakistan.

 In china and Ethylene and Propylene have been traditionally produced from Petroleum based
feedstock via steam cracking and catalytic cracking. So it is the point to avail a motivation that we
need to make and need to think about it.

 And the main thing it will be a new story and may be a great one to take a new start for all the rest
of World and I think at that time it is necessarily to make as possible and to take a new start and
make a new motivation to produce olefins from methanol.

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 Annual Import Cost of Methanol in Pakistan

Fig 01: Annual import Data of Methanol in Pakistan

Date:14/1/2021
https://www.tilasto.com/en/country/pakistan/handel/methyl-alcohol-import-value 8
 Annual import Cost of Ethylene in Pakistan

Fig 02: Annual import data of Ehylene in Pakistan

Date:14/1/2021 https://www.tilasto.com/en/country/pakistan/handel/monoalkyl-ethers-of-ethylene-diethylene-glycol-other-import-
9
value
 World Wide Demand & Consumption of Propylene

propylene demand 105 million metric tpy world consumption of propylene

120 110 in 2019
105
99 100
95
100
propylene demand, million metric tpy

90 91
84
80
75
80 70
68
64 63 65
60 24% 25%
60

40
14%
18%
20
14% 6%

0
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

years
china Europe South America
propylene demand, million metric tpy Rest of the world North America other Asia

Fig 03: World Wide Demand of Propylene Fig 04: World Consumption of Propylene in 2019

Date:14/1/2021 https://ihsmarkit.com/products/ethylene-oxide-chemical-economics-handbook.html
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 World Wide Production of Ethylene
17.065 million tons of production of ethylene in 2019
The majority of the increased production over the
last five years is from Northeast Asia, North South America
2%

America, and the europe; within these three regions. Asia

North America
32%
29%

Overall demand for ethylene derivatives is now

fueled primarily by the emerging world, and is Middle east
14%
Europe
projected to further grow over the foreseeable 23%

horizon. North America Europe Middle east Asia South America

Fig 05: Production of Ethylene in 2019

Date:14/1/2021
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethylene_oxide 11
 Ethylene Demand in Pakistan

Ethylene Demand in Pakistan

90,000
80,297
80,000

67,126
70,000 65,515
60,958
59,013 59,893
60,000
50,313
49,409
50,00047,024
tons

40,000
30,664
30,000

20,000

10,000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Fig 06: Ethylene Demand in Pakistan

Date:14/1/2021 https://www.trademap.org/Index.aspx 12
 Plant Capacity Selection

Import of ethylene per year in Pakistan

• Capacity can be selected on the 80000

70000 68000

basis of capital annual growth rate 60000

60297
57126
60958
59893

according to the Persistent Market 50313

Import per year (Tons)

49515 49409
50000

39013
40000
Research for the forecast period 30024 30664
30000

2020-2030. 20000
19124

10000
• Plant capacity is 68,000 Ton/years
0
09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20
• Plant capacity in 8500 kg/hr Years

60,000 tons 1000 kg 1 year 1 day

year 1 ton
330days 24 hr
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https://www.trademap.org/Index.aspx
 Production Methods
Olefins can be manufactured using following methods:
Crude
Natural oil
gas
MTO

Biogas
Syngas Methanol Basic
Olefins
chemicals
Biomass

MTP
Coal
Polymers

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 Process Selection
Table 02: Process Selection

Process Description
• In the UOP/HYDRO MTO process, crude methanol is converted
UOP/HYDRO MTO primarily to ethylene and propylene. The process can work in
either a maximum ethylene or a maximum propylene production
mode.
• MTO process can achieve almost 99% conversion of methanol
• can provide 80% yield from methanol to ethylene and propylene
• Product selectivity is
C2H4: 0.43
C3H6: 0.418
C3H8: 0.005;
CH4: 0.013
C2H6: 0.008

 Lurgi MTP • In the Lurgi MTP process, crude methanol is converted primarily
to only propylene. The process can work only on propylene
production mode
• Methanol are converted by more than 90% with propene as the
predominant product.
• Propene selectivity higher than 60%

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https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320951359
Comparative Study of Production Methods
Table 03: Production Methods

Production methods UOP/HYDRO MTO Lurgi MTP

Raw material/catalyst Methanol / SAPO 34 (Si) Methanol /HZSM5(SiO2/Al2O3)

Yield 80% 85%

Products Ethylene, propylene, methane, Propylene ,gasoline
Ethane, propane, CO2
Temperature 400 °C 470°C
Pressure 40bar 35bar
Comments Cost effective and it design to Economically feasible but
produce mainly two products, require multiple reactions
economically feasible

Date:14/1/2021 https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9717/3/3/684/htm 16