Toluene selective alkylation with methanol (EMTAM℠)

The EMTAM℠ process is a breakthrough technology that maximizes production of valuable paraxylene product while lowering feed and energy costs. The highly paraxylene selective process is built off of commercially proven technologies. Unlike other toluene conversion processes, there is no benzene co-product and no hydrogen co-feed. It is the only process that can tune the methyl to ring ratio based on market conditions and allows unlimited benzene co-feeding to produce paraxylene.

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Key benefits

- Lower feed and energy costs
- Product slate flexibility – ability to upgrade benzene to PX when market conditions are favorable
- Ability to maximize PX product or minimize crude feedstock
- Toluene mostly converted to PX, no benzene coproduct
- High toluene conversion
- High methanol incorporation
- Stable and consistent product yields
- High selectivity to PX/smaller recovery unit
- Low sensitivity to poisons (continuous regeneration)
- Ability to use ExxonMobil’s LPI process to further lower energy costs

The EMTAM process

The EMTAM process is a fluidized bed catalytic process that uses low-cost and readily available methanol to alkylate toluene and/or benzene to yield a highly paraxylene enriched product with minimized production of other co-products. The image below is the 3D model of a world-scale unit design.

Tested and proven technology:

Fluidized bed process derived from FCC technology

Based on 75+ years of ExxonMobil experience with FCC process
Process conditions very similar to FCC (pressure, temperature, fluid solids circulation)
Peripherals identical to FCC (stripper, cyclones, cat cooler, slide valves, transfer lines)

Demonstrated performance

10+ years pilot plant operation
~1 full year of 8 Bbl/day Process
Demonstration Unit operation
Commercially produced catalyst

Reliable design

Reviewed and approved by 4 world-class engineering companies
World-scale unit design complete
Multiple world-class fabricators qualified by ExxonMobil to construct vessel and internals

Highly selective to PX, lower feed and energy costs, stable and consistent yields

The EMTAM process, which is highly selective to PX, uses a proprietary selectivated zeolite catalyst which is continuously regenerated to ensure stable and consistent product yields throughout the cycle. The fluidized bed process also features high toluene conversion per pass, optimized process conditions (toluene to methanol ratio, water co-feed, superficial velocity…) and a proprietary staged methanol injection system aimed at maximizing methanol utilization for the methylation reaction and minimizing by-products formation. When the toluene methylation unit is close to an ethylene facility, the off-gas can be upgraded to higher-valued olefins products. The EMTAM process lowers feed and energy costs which represent ~75% of the operating cost in a state-of-the-art naphtha to PX complex.

Maximizing aromatic rings to paraxylene:

Life cycle support

Initial discussions to confirm client objectives and tailor the solution
Detailed yield estimate
Feasibility study
Commercial proposal
Process design package
Technology transfer, training, catalyst loading and startup support
Technology improvement
Performance monitoring and technical assistance throughout the life of the catalyst

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