Dimethyl Carbonate Production Process from Urea and Methanol

Abstract In this paper, we aim to provide a feasible flowsheet of the process of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) production from urea and methanol. We use Aspen Plus for the simulation and we perform an economic and energetic study of the process. We also remark which process variables and units affect the design the most. The results prove the viability of this synthesis route, which for a production of 74 kt/y of DMC, grants a 21.1 MM$/y of profit, as long as a proper catalyst is employed in the synthesis.