Methanol-to-gasoline chemistry was discovered by ExxonMobil scientists in the 1970s. Over years of extensive studies and pilot plant operations, ExxonMobil developed both the fixed bed and fluid bed MTG processes. Compared to fixed bed MTG, fluid bed MTG demonstrates overall advantages in CAPEX, OPEX, operation reliability, steady product quality, carbon intensity, and more. Today, Exxon Mobil is focusing on actively licensing fluid bed MTG over fixed bed MTG. The unique MTG catalyst is the science that limits the synthesis reactions to ~11 carbons, which is exactly the gasoline range.
In the fluid bed design, raw methanol feedstock, including typical 4wt% water and 96wt% methanol, is vaporized and superheated through a series of heat exchangers, then fed into the fluid bed reactor for conversion into hydrocarbons and water. At the MTG reactor conditions, light olefins oligomerize into higher olefins, which combine through various reaction paths into paraffins, naphthenes, and methylated aromatics.
Dr. Fengrong Chen, Technical Sales Manager of ExxonMobil provides an overview of Methanol to Gasoline (MTG) chemistry. Dr. Chen will cover the MTG development history, including ExxonMobil fixed bed and fluid bed MTG processes. He reviews the advantages of fluid bed versus fixed bed MTG and finally, provides you with the status of our fluid bed MTG technology readiness and commercialization.
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