Background:
Ethylene, propylene, and butylene as light olefins are the most important intermediates in the
petrochemical industry worldwide. Methanol to olefins (MTO) process is a new technology based on catalytic cracking to produce
ethylene and propylene from methanol.
Aims and Objective:
This study aims to simulate the process of producing ethylene from methanol by using Aspen HYSYS
software from the initial design to the improved design.
Methods:
Ethylene is produced in a two-step reaction. In an equilibrium reactor, the methanol is converted to dimethyl ether by an
equilibrium reaction. The conversion of the produced dimethyl ether to ethylene is done in a conversion reactor. Changes have been
made to improve the conditions and get closer to the actual process design done in the industry. The plug flow reactor has been
replaced by the equilibrium reactor, and the distillation column was employed to separate the dimethyl ether produced from the
reactor.
Result and Conclusion:
The effect of the various parameters on the ethylene production was investigated. Eventually, ethylene is
