Patent · US Active

Process for the conversion of hydrocarbons into ethanol

US7947746B2 · kind B2 · utility

82Cited by
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16Claims
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Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 12, 2008
Grant dateMay 24, 2011
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 12, 2028

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02P20/582
  • WIPO fieldOrganic fine chemistry
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

Process for converting synthesis gas to ethanol, including the steps of 1) introducing synthesis gas, together with methyl ethanoate and/or ethyl ethanoate, into an alcohol synthesis unit to produce methanol and ethanol, 2) separating the methanol from the ethanol of step 1, 3) introducing methanol, from step 2, together with CO, into a carbonylation unit in the presence of a methanol carbonylation catalyst, to produce ethanoic acid, and 4) introducing ethanoic acid, from step 3, together with methanol and/or ethanol, into an esterification unit to produce methyl ethanoate and/or ethyl ethanoate. In step 5), methyl ethanoate and/or ethyl ethanoate, produced in step 4, are fed into the alcohol synthesis unit of step 1, and in step 6) ethanol from step 2 is recovered.

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