# MTBE: Production route

One reaction, many sources of isobutylene

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

What this tab covers How it is made: the main production routes or, for product families, the main product types and technologies, compared on share of supply, inputs per tonne, plant scale, yield, co-products and unit cost.

All MTBE is made by the same reaction of methanol with isobutylene; the routes differ in where the isobutylene comes from. Refinery and cracker C4 streams give mixed C4s from which isobutylene is selectively converted. On-purpose plants dehydrogenate isobutane from LPG, typical in Saudi Arabia, the US Gulf and China. A third route uses tert-butyl alcohol from propylene oxide co-product plants. The source of isobutylene decides plant size and cost.

#### Routes compared

| Route | Share of supply | Inputs per tonne | Typical scale | Yield | Co-products | Unit cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Refinery and cracker C4 (FCC C4 or raffinate-1)** | not published; the most widespread route (indicative) | about 0.364 t methanol and 0.636 t isobutylene (stoichiometry) | 50-300 kt a year (indicative); India's units at Reliance Hazira, IOCL Vadodara and BPCL Mahul are of this type | isobutylene conversion above 99% with catalytic distillation (indicative) | isobutylene-free raffinate-2 C4s | set by methanol and the value of C4s as fuel or alkylate feed (indicative) |
| **On-purpose isobutane dehydrogenation** | not published (indicative: a large share of traded MTBE) | about 0.66-0.7 t isobutane plus 0.364 t methanol (indicative) | 0.5-1.0 Mt a year per plant; Zhenhua Petrochemical 660 kt and Sinopec Zhongyuan 600 kt planned for 2026 | dehydrogenation selectivity about 85-90% (indicative) | hydrogen | higher energy use than refinery route (indicative) |
| **TBA route (PO/TBA co-product)** | small (indicative) | TBA plus methanol | 0.5-1 Mt a year (indicative) | high | propylene oxide is the main product | tied to PO economics |

#### How each route works
**Refinery and cracker C4 (FCC C4 or raffinate-1)**

Mixed C4s from fluid catalytic crackers or steam crackers pass through an MTBE unit that reacts only the isobutylene, leaving n-butenes for alkylation or butene-1. Common inside refineries in Asia and Europe.

Low capital; output limited by C4 supply.
 sweetcrudereports / GlobalData (2018); indicative **On-purpose isobutane dehydrogenation**

Field butane is isomerised to isobutane, dehydrogenated over platinum or chromium catalyst to isobutylene, then etherified. Used for large export plants in Saudi Arabia, the US Gulf and China.

Large scale, not tied to refinery; energy-intensive dehydrogenation.
 S&P Global (H1 2026 trends); indicative **TBA route (PO/TBA co-product)**

Propylene oxide plants using isobutane make tert-butyl alcohol as co-product, which is dehydrated to isobutylene or reacted to MTBE or ETBE. LyondellBasell runs this on the US Gulf Coast.

Monetises a co-product; volume set by PO demand.
 indicative Unit economics are indicative ranges from the sources named; costs move with feedstock and energy prices, plant size and region.

## 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](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)