Published December 2001
MTBE has been used as an octane improver in gasoline worldwide since the early 1980s. However, MTBE faces considerable environmental pressure and may be phased out of gasoline over the next decade. In the United States, reformulated gasoline specifications still contain a minimum oxygen requirement, which suggests that refiners will have to replace MTBE with other oxygenated additives if the regulations are not changed.
This report provides an overview of the global implications of eliminating MTBE from the gasoline pool and explores world market for octane improvers. We will explore opportunities for viable oxygenated alternatives, such as ethanol and dimethyl carbonate as MTBE replacements in reformulated gasoline.
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