Patent · US Expired

Methanol synthesis

US7786180B2 · kind B2 · utility

31Cited by
8References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 9, 2006
Grant dateAug 31, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 9, 2026

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02P20/129
  • WIPO fieldOrganic fine chemistry
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A process for synthesising methanol comprises the steps of: (i) reforming a hydrocarbon feedstock and separating water to generate a make-up gas comprising hydrogen and carbon oxides, the make-up gas mixture having a stoichiometric number, R, R=([H2]−[CO2])/([CO2]+[CO]) of less than 2.0, (ii) combining the make up gas with an unreacted synthesis gas to form a synthesis gas mixture, (iii) passing the synthesis gas through a bed of methanol synthesis catalyst to generate a product stream, (iv) cooling the product stream to recover a crude methanol stream from the unreacted synthesis gas, (v) removing a portion of the unreacted synthesis gas as a purge gas, and (vi) feeding the remaining unreacted synthesis gas to step (ii), wherein hydrogen is recovered from a portion of the purge gas and the make up gas, and the recovered hydrogen is included in the synthesis gas mixture.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.