Insights on the separation process of the diethyl carbonate plant obtained by ethanol and CO2

Abstract

This paper presents the techno-economics insights of projects of diethyl carbonate (DEC) production from ethanol and CO₂ in which the raw materials are proposed to be obtained from existing plants such as the bioethanol industry. The complete DEC plant was simulated using Aspen Plus®. The exothermic reaction system was modeled in multitubular PFR with CeO₂ catalyst and dehydrating agent 2-cyanopyridine (2-CP), achieving an EtOH conversion of 86.04 % and a yield of DEC of 83.34 %. Three different configurations were evaluated in the DEC separation stage aiming to intensify the plant with the use of a sidestream distillation column and reactive distillation column. The integration of the DEC plant with ethanol and sugar biorefineries, offering lower-cost acquisition of raw materials, is the key to making the process economically profitable. The process has the potential to capture 0.088–0.204 kg CO₂/kg DEC, demonstrating a promising pathway to extend the life cycle of renewable carbon.