Green fuel synthesis via reactive distillation

In the framework of the large European Project named INSERT (INtegrating SEparation and Reaction Technologies), Eni and the University of Pisa are collaborating to a study concerning the production via reactive catalytic distillation of dimethyl ether (DME), a promising alternative green fuel. The design of an integrated technology and the application to the synthesis of a clean product summarise the fundamental aspects of the Green Chemical Engineering Principles. On the other side, the development of a simulation tool for the design of the optimally integrated reaction and separation process and its reliable scale up is strongly necessary for the industrial application of a new environmentally friendly process. The main purpose of INSERT is the development of such a comprehensive design methodology. To accomplish this, both a theoretical and an extensive experimental programme have been undertaken. The current results of this joint research are presented in this paper.