Ethylene and propylene are important chemical materials and manufactured from petroleum at present. However
the oil shortage has been a worldwide problem
while the demands for olefins
especially for propylene
has been growing steadily. The alternative ways for the production of ethylene and propylene from methanol
which can be obtained from coal and natural gas
have received much attention from academic and industrial fields in recent decades. The technologies of methanol to olefins (MTO) and methanol to propylene (MTP) are developed rapidly in recent years. This paper presents a review on the recent researches in this field
including the modifications on catalysts ZSM-5 and SAPO zeolites
advances in hydrocarbon pool mechanism
and the progress in the technology development and industrialization of MTO and MTP.