This paper deals with the synthesis of heat integrated mass exchanger networks by mathematical programming approach based on stage-wise superstructure representation.A design strategy was proposed after analyzing all the parameters connecting mass exchanger networks (MEN)with heat exchanger networks (HEN）.Those parameters were discretized and then combined to obtain multiple options.In each option

a step-wise method was used.First

MEN was synthesized

targeting minimum total annual cost (TAC)of MEN by the superstructure-based approach.Second

the HEN whose data were obtained from the MEN in the first step was synthesized by solving modified HEN non-linear programming (NLP)based on HEN stage-wise superstructure.Then the TACs of two networks were summed up to obtain minimum TAC of the whole network in each option.Finally the TACs of all options were compared and the option with the lowest TAC of heat integrated mass exchanger network was chosen as the best one.Two examples were examined to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the method.