Improvements in Methyl Ethyl Ketone Production Through Intensified Processes

Abstract Methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) is a widely used chemical in the industry. Most of the MEK uses are directly related to industrial application; however, recent studies suggest the use of MEK as a possible fuel for spark-ignition engines. The industrial process to produce MEK is performed through the hydration of butylene and the dehydration of that alcohol. Butylene is produced from oil cuts. However, petroleum is a recognized finite resource and is pointed out as a major cause of environmental issues. An alternative to improve a process is process intensification (PI). In this work, an intensified alternative to produce MEK from 2,3- Butanediol is proposed. 2,3-Butanediol might be produced by a fermentation process based on renewable biomass. The intensified alternatives consist of a reactive distillation column, an extractive distillation column, and three conventional distillation columns. The novel alternatives produce and purify MEK, 1,2-BD, 2MPL, and water, from 2,3-BD using calcium phosphate as catalyst were modelled in Aspen Plus. To evaluate the intensified alternative, it was considered the energy requirements per kilogram of MEK, conversion, selectivity as well as an environmental impact index, the greenhouse gas emissions. The RD column resuzlted in a conversion of 99.86 % and a selectivity for MEK of 44 %. After evaluation, the direct scheme resulted as the most promising one, with energy requirements of 2790 kcal/kgMEK (11.6 MJ kg/MEK). Regarding the environmental impact, the direct scheme reported 7.07 tCO2/h of greenhouse gas emissions.