# MTBE

Methyl tert-butyl ether: a petrol octane booster made from methanol and isobutylene, still widely used in Asia and Latin America but banned in the US.

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

Commodity chemicals · Methanol & oxygenates · No. 34

- Single chemical
- Feedstock: Oil, gas or coal
- about 30-33 Mt a year (2024, indicative, basis: 10.8% of 111.8 Mt methanol at 0.364 t methanol per t MTBE; includes some TAME)
- 1.5 t CO₂e per t
- HS 290919
 Commodity chemicals · Methanol & oxygenates · Foundation · Matter

Banned in the United States after it tainted groundwater, MTBE still boosts the octane of petrol across Asia and Latin America.

Chart: Illustration: MTBE

##### Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Methanol reacts with isobutylene from refinery or cracker C4 streams, or from dehydrogenated butane, over an acidic resin. By weight it is about 36% methanol and 64% isobutylene.

##### Three things to know

1. About 94% of MTBE goes into petrol, where its blending octane of about 110-118 helped refiners phase out lead.
2. It takes about 11% of world methanol, roughly 12 Mt a year in 2024.
3. MTBE dissolves easily in water and breaks down slowly, so US states banned it and federal oxygenate rules ended in 2006.

##### The journey

1. 1 **C4 streams**Isobutylene from refinery or cracker C4s
2. 2 **Methanol**About 0.364 t per tonne MTBE
3. 3 **Etherification**Acidic resin at 40-90 C, 99% conversion
4. 4 **Product tankers**US Gulf to Mexico, Gulf to Europe
5. 5 **Petrol blending**Added at 5-15% by volume
 Covered in [From crude oil and natural gas to the C1-C4 building blocksChemicals](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/chemicals/oil-gas-to-building-blocks/)

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## Other sections

- [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)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/mtbe/feedstocks/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)