Four millionth ton of MTBE was produced in Omsk region

On December 22, the methyl tert-butyl ether production shop of “Omsky kauchuk” plant released the four millionth ton of the product. Despite the pandemic, the output of these products at the GC Titan in the year 2020 is conducted according to the scheduled plan. The tradition of recording significant milestones has existed in the company since the first MTBE ton was produced.

On the night watch at that moment there was the “G” shift under the leadership of Valery Chuvakin - a production veteran, participant of the MTBE unit commissioning in 1995. We remind that the two millionth ton was produced by the MTBE unit in May 2016.

It should be explained that methyl tert-butyl ether is a transparent liquid with the chemical formula CH₃—O—C(CH₃)3, obtained from hydrocarbon feedstock. MTBE is used to improve anti-knock properties of motor petrols, including increasing the octane number.

Before the MTBE appearance, such organometallic additives as tetraethyl lead were widely used to increase the petrol octane number, causing great harm to car engines, human health and environment. The domestic technology of the MTBE production was developed by the Research Institute “Yarsintez”. However, despite its high ecological properties, MTBE didn’t become widespread until the GC Titan believed its prospects in the mid-1990s.

The Group of companies provided investments in the engineering and reconstruction of equipment, and the process engineers of “Omsky kauchuk” plant contributed their knowledge and experience to the project. For the MTBE production the separate enterprise “Ecooil” was created in Omsk.

“MTBE became the first innovative product at that time for the Group of companies Titan, with which it entered the market and by which we were recognized,” comments Mikhail Sutyaginsky. “Our specialists communicated with management of many refineries, told them that MTBE not only increases the engine efficiency, but also reduces the carbon monoxide content and incomplete combustion products in exhaust gases. Step by step our specialists managed to convince them. In particular, due to the appearance of the Titan’s MTBE, Russia left the production of leaded fuel with carcinogenic additives.”

The rated capacity of the MTBE unit in 1995 was 187 tons of product per day. Over the years of fruitful research, it has been increased many times, and the GC Titan became the owner of the largest unit capacity among the plants producing MTBE in the country.

The concentration of the main substance in commercial MTBE was brought to 99%. The quality of the fuel additive produced by the GC Titan complies with the Russian and international standards. The product has repeatedly become a laureate of the federal competition of the program “100 Best Goods of Russia”. Omsk MTBE is registered in accordance with the European Union Regulation on Chemicals (REACH). It is supplied to various regions of Russia from Leningrad region to Khabarovsk Krai. The MTBE export has multiplied over the past five years. Methyl tert-butyl ether produced by the Group of companies Titan is in demand among consumers in the European Union, CIS and Central Asian region.

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