Coproduction of methanol and ammonia from natural gas

US7521483B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Lurgi GmbH · DE

Inventors

• William Davey · Frankfurt am Main, DE
• Thomas Wurzel · Oberursel, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 10, 2005
• Grant date: Apr 21, 2009
• Expiry date: Feb 10, 2025

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P20/52
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for the coproduction of methanol and ammonia from natural gas involving the following steps: 1. Natural gas (flow 1) , steam and oxygen are mixed with one another in a reactor A during which the natural gas is partially oxidized and additionally reformed with the aid of catalysts; 2. The gas mixture removed from reactor A is split into a flow (flow 2) for synthesizing methanol in a unit E and into another flow (flow 3) for producing hydrogen; 3. The carbon monoxide present in flow (flow 3) for producing hydrogen is converted into carbon dioxide inside reactor B with the aid of catalysts and intermediate cooling stages; 4. Remaining impurities such as methane, traces of carbon monoxide and argon are washed out in a cleaning unit D, and hydrogen (flows 6, 8) is fed to the methanol synthesis in unit E and to the ammonia synthesis in unit F; 5. The methanol synthesis gas (flow 7) is converted into methanol (flow 9) with the aid of a catalyst, and the methanol is brought to the required level of purity by distillation; 6. The ammonia synthesis gas,(flow 8) is compressed in unit F and converted into ammonia (flow 10) with the aid of a catalyst, and the a…