Recently, KaiRui Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “KaiRui Environmental”) signed a contract with Spain’s REPSOL, successfully securing an ETBE contract order from REPSOL’s fourth subsidiary. All four ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) units operated by REPSOL utilize KaiRui Environmental’s catalysts. This contract was signed during a client visit and promotional research trip to the European market led by KaiRui Environmental’s General Manager, Zhang Yong. Through this visit, the company engaged in thorough discussions with clients regarding potential collaborations, with the aim of identifying new business opportunities.

The photo shows Zhang Yong (first from the right), General Manager of KaiRui Environmental Protection, talking with a client.

　ETBE is produced by reacting ethanol with isobutylene using a resin catalyst, which not only consumes ethanol but also mitigates the drawbacks associated with the use of ethanol-blended gasoline. Compared to methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), ETBE has only a slightly lower oxygen content, while all other performance indicators are superior to those of MTBE. In particular, its Reid vapor pressure is lower, making it more miscible with gasoline than MTBE; its solubility in water is less than one-third that of MTBE, resulting in minimal groundwater contamination. The maximum ETBE blending level in gasoline is 17 V%, while ethanol accounts for 45.1 wt% of ETBE; thus, blending ethanol into gasoline in the form of ETBE allows for the addition of approximately 8% ethanol. This is slightly lower than the ethanol blending level of (10±2) V% specified in the current domestic ethanol-blended gasoline standards. However, utilizing ethanol in the form of ETBE can resolve issues associated with ethanol-blended gasoline—such as increased fuel consumption, carbon deposits, and phase separation—while also effectively separating isobutene from 1-butene. Furthermore, retrofitting existing MTBE facilities would be simpler and require lower investment costs. It can truly be described as killing multiple birds with one stone.

　　As early as 2003, when China implemented its ethanol-blended gasoline policy, and in 2004, when the United States began phasing out MTBE, KaiRui Environmental Protection began researching MTBE replacement technologies and resin catalysts. By 2009, the company had already completed the R&D of ETBE process technology and catalysts and actively participated in numerous international process technology tenders.

　　In 2010, KaiRui Environmental began exporting its ETBE catalysts. To date, these catalysts have been successfully implemented in multiple industrial applications in overseas markets, with operational results meeting expectations. The company has also established long-term cooperative relationships with several European enterprises. In addition to the four subsidiaries of Spain’s REPSOL that use KaiRui Environmental’s ETBE catalysts, companies in Germany, Italy, and other countries have also been using these catalysts for many years.