PODCAST: European octane boosters during the summer of ’21

LONDON (ICIS)–Nazif Nazmul, Europe editor for ethyl and methyl tertiary butyl ethers (ETBE and MTBE) and biofuels discusses with Zubair Adam, Europe editor for toluene and mixed xylenes (MX), the impacts that gasoline demand had for these products during the peak summer period.

Around 95% of MTBE is used as an octane booster and as a oxygenate in gasoline, and it can also be used to make high-purity isobutylene, which can be further processed to make butyl rubber, highly reactive polyisobutylene, methyl methacrylate (MMA) and other smaller derivatives.

ETBE is a fuel blended with gasoline to make it burn more cleanly and thus improve overall air quality.

Ethanol is used as a gasoline blendstock, in pharmaceuticals and in food and beverage applications such as hand sanitizers and vodka.

The main chemical use of toluene is to make benzene and xylenes. The product is also used as a solvent that is present in paint thinners, nail polish remover, as well as in the manufacturing of toluene diisocyanate (TDI), nylon and plastic bottles.

MX are traded in two grades. The isomer-grade xylene is mainly used as a feedstock for paraxylene (PX) and orthoxylene (OX) production, while the main application for solvent grade is as a raw material for dye, organic pigment, perfume and medicines, as well as a general solvent for paint and agricultural pesticides.