# MTBE: Feedstocks

Why scarce isobutylene decides who wins

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/mtbe/feedstocks/

What this tab covers What it is made from and what it feeds: the raw materials and energy per tonne with their share of cost (linked to the commodity table), who is low-cost and why, and the chemicals made from it.

MTBE is about 36% methanol and 64% isobutylene by weight. Isobutylene is the costlier and scarcer input, so access to cheap C4s or butane decides competitiveness. Plants in refineries treat MTBE as a way to upgrade C4s; on-purpose plants in the Gulf and China treat it as a way to monetise butane.

#### Inputs per tonne

| Input | Quantity per tonne | Role | Share of cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Gas Natural gas](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/natural_gas/) | about 0.364 t per t | methyl ether group | about 20-25% of cash cost (indicative) | stoichiometry (indicative) |
| [Oil Crude oil](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/crude_oil/) | about 0.636 t per t | tert-butyl group | about 60-70% (indicative) | stoichiometry (indicative) |
| [Gas Natural gas](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/natural_gas/) | about 0.66-0.7 t per t (indicative) | dehydrogenated to isobutylene | about 55-65% (indicative) | indicative |
| **Acidic ion-exchange resin catalyst** | small | etherification catalyst | under 1% (indicative) | indicative |

#### Who is low-cost, and why

Lowest cost: Middle East on-purpose plants on cheap butane and methanol, and US Gulf plants on NGL butane. Refinery units everywhere are competitive because C4s have low alternative value. High-cost Chinese dehydrogenation plants struggled in 2025 (S&P Global).

#### Raw materials on the commodity table
[Gas Natural gas](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/natural_gas/)[Oil Crude oil](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/crude_oil/)

#### What it is made into

| Product | Note |
|---|---|
| [Lub Lubricant additives](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lubricant_additives/) | polyisobutylene for dispersants |

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/mtbe/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/mtbe/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/mtbe/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/mtbe/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/mtbe/production/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/mtbe/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/mtbe/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/mtbe/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/mtbe/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/mtbe/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/mtbe/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/mtbe/links/index.md)