The steady-state simulation of reactive distillation columns using the conventional Naphtali-Sandholm (NS) method is studied. Results for methyl acetate and MTBE columns show that the method effectively solves the highly non-linear MEH equations. In the MTBE system, three distinct steady states are obtained as the Newton step factor is decreased from high to low values. The versatility of the method in handling different column specifications and its application for preliminary control studies is also demonstrated. A novel feature of the work is the inclusion of reaction conversion as a possible column specification. The specification of reaction conversion and product purity provides a direct means for obtaining operating conditions for high purity and high conversion column operation.