General Status of MTBE Development
                             By Han Xiushan
1. Production
China started the research of MTBE synthesis in the late 70's  and  the
early 80's. The  Rubber  Factory  of  Qilu  Petrochemical  Corporation
constructed China's first  MTBE  experimental  unit  in  1985.   Jilin
Chemical Industrial Corporation constructed China's first 27  500  t/a
MTBE production  unit in 1986.  The capacity  of    the    unit    was
expanded to 55 000 t/a in later years and it is the biggest MTBE  unit
in China. 23 MTBE units (7 units based on chemical production  and  16
units based on  oil  refining)   have  been  completed  and  put  into
operation with a total capacity of 485 500 t/a. (See Table 1) With the
completion of other MTBE units to be constructed during the Ninth Five
-year Plan period, the capacity of MTBE will reach 647 000 t/a in China,
accounting for 2.7% of the world total.
Table 1   MTBE Producers in China and Their Capacities
                Producer                      Capacity   Time of starting
                                             ('000 t/a)    production
Rubber Factory of Qilu Petrochemical Corp.       5.5         983
Daqing Petrochemical General Plant              20           1987
Taizhou Refinery                                 8           Oct. 1989
Organic Synthesis Plant
  of Jilin Chemical Industrial Corp.            55           Oct. 1986
Dushanzi Refinery                               20           Sept. 1994
Fujian Refinery                                 20           June 1993
Dalian No. 7 Petroleum Plant                    30           1993
Refinery of Guangzhou Petrochemical Corp.       20           Feb. 1992
Wuhan Petrochemical Complex                     20           1994
Heilongjiang Labadian Chemical Plant            20           1995
Jinzhou No. 6 Petroleum Plant                    5           1985
Zhenhai Chemical Complex                        20           Oct. 1989
Fushun No. 2 Petroleum Plant                    20
Luoyang Refinery                                 2           Dec. 1988
Jinshan Petrochemical Complex                   40           1995
Jinan Refinery                                  20           Aug. 1995
Rubber Plant of Qilu Petrochemical Corp.        40           May 1988
Refinery of  Gaoqiao Petrochemical Corp.        20           1991
Harbin Refinery                                 10           Dec. 1994
Cangzhou Refinery                               10           Oct. 1994
Jiujiang Refinery                               20           1995
Changling Refinery                              20           1991
Dalian West Pacific Co., Ltd.                   40           1993
Total                                          485.5
In China, MTBE is mainly used as  solvent  and&