Heat exchanger network synthesis (HENS) has been one of the most-studied problems in process synthesis. Nevertheless, the complexity of the HENS problem provides enough scope for the development of novel algorithms involving the application of specialized optimization techniques. Evolutionary algorithms (EA) have emerged as viable alternatives to traditional methods for optimizing functions of both continuous and discrete variables. Differential evolution (DE) is one such evolutionary algorithm that promises simple, fast and robust optimization. The present study illustrates the application of this novel technique for the synthesis of heat exchanger networks. The HENS model proposed here considers stream splitting, does away with the simplifying assumption of isothermal mixing of the split streams and has the capability to handle compulsory and forbidden matching of streams. The DE-based model (DEM) does not rely on the decomposition of the problem into subproblems but employs a simultaneous method of approach to optimize the structure of the network of heat exchangers, the heat loads of these exchangers, the split stream heat flows and the minimum approach temperature. The proposed model has been applied to some case studies available in the literature and the results of these studies are very encouraging. The present work represents thus a step forward in the search for robust and efficient global optimization algorithms for the solution of the HENS problem. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.