Synthetic Ethanol and Isopropanol

Published December 1979

This report presents the technologies and economics of various processes for manufacturing ethanol and isopropanol.

Our study includes PEP evaluations that are based on the following technologies:

• Veba-Chemie's technology (commercialized) for manufacturing ethanol from ethylene.
• Union Carbide's technology (not commercialized) for manufacturing ethanol from carbon monoxide and hydrogen.
• A combination of uncommercialized technologies for manufacturing ethanol from corn residues by enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation.

We have also included in our study updates of work we reported in 1974 on the manufacture of isopropanol from propylene. Our study includes PEP evaluations that are based on the following technologies:

• Tokuyama Soda technology (commercialized) for manufacturing isopropanol from chemical grade propylene.
• Tokuyama Soda technology, supplemented by a newly designed feed preparation step, for manufacturing isopropanol from refinery grade propylene.
• Direct hydration of chemical grade propylene by use of a cation exchange resin catalyst, the technology being somewhat similar to that commercialized by Deutsche Texaco.

Summaries for ethanol and isopropanol design features and economics have been presented in separate sections--Section 2 and Section 3, respectively.

The tabulation below summarizes our previous evaluations of processes for manufacturing ethanol and isopropanol. Technical information for the study was obtained from nonconfidential material that has been released or published by the various companies involved and by others.

Other PEP Related Reports:

• Synthetic Ethanol and Isopropanol 53
• Synthetic Ethanol and Isopropanol 53A1