Process for dehydroaromatization of alkanes with in-situ hydrogen removal
AssigneeProtia, LLC
InventorsPer Kristian Vestre, Christian Kjølseth
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Abstract
A process for conversion of natural gas to aromatic hydrocarbons in a catalytic membrane reactor is described herein. The catalytic membrane reactor comprises a dehydrogenation catalyst and a membrane that can selectively transport hydrogen under high temperature operating conditions such as 600° C. to 800° C. Aromatic hydrocarbons are produced stably for a long time by a process characterized by hydrogen co-feed with the reaction gases to the one end of the to the reaction zone while hydrogen is extracted selectively with use of the membrane as the reactive gas mix passes through the reaction zone.
Claims17
A process for the preparation of an aromatic hydrocarbon in a catalytic membrane reactor comprising a reactor inlet, a dehydrogenation catalyst and a reactor outlet in a first zone arranged so that a feed to the reactor via the inlet must contact the dehydrogenation catalyst before passing to the reactor outlet;
- and a hydrogen transport membrane separating said first zone from a second zone;
- said process comprising:
- (I) feeding through said reactor inlet a feed comprising hydrogen and at least one C1-4 alkane so that the alkane and hydrogen contact said dehydrogenation catalyst in said first zone;
- (II) operating said reactor at a temperature and pressure sufficient to allow dehydrogenation of said alkane and formation of said aromatic hydrocarbon and hydrogen;
- (III) allowing hydrogen to selectively pass through the hydrogen transport membrane into said second zone;
- (IV) recovering through the reactor outlet in the first zone, said aromatic hydrocarbon along with any unreacted C1-4 alkane and any hydrogen not extracted through the hydrogen transport membrane;
- (V) separating the aromatic hydrocarbon from the hydrogen and any unreacted C1-4 alkane;
- and
- (VI) recycling at least a part of said hydrogen and any unreacted C1-4 alkane to the feed using a recycle stream, wherein the hydrogen content of the recycle stream is 3 to 35 vol %.
A process for the preparation of an aromatic hydrocarbon in a catalytic membrane reactor comprising a reactor inlet, a dehydrogenation catalyst and a reactor outlet in a first zone arranged so that a feed to the reactor via the inlet must contact the dehydrogenation catalyst before passing to the reactor outlet;
- and a hydrogen transport membrane separating said first zone from a second zone;
- said process comprising:
- (I) feeding through said reactor inlet a feed comprising hydrogen and at least one C1-4 alkane so that the alkane and hydrogen contact said dehydrogenation catalyst in said first zone;
- (II) operating said reactor at a temperature and pressure sufficient to allow dehydrogenation of said alkane and formation of said aromatic hydrocarbon and hydrogen;
- (III) allowing hydrogen to selectively pass through the hydrogen transport membrane into said second zone;
- (IV) removing hydrogen from said second zone in order to establish a concentration gradient for hydrogen transport between said first and second zones;
- (V) recovering through the reactor outlet in the first zone, said aromatic hydrocarbon along with any unreacted C1-4 alkane and any hydrogen not extracted through the hydrogen transport membrane;
- (VI) separating the aromatic hydrocarbon from the hydrogen and any unreacted C1-4 alkane;
- and
- (VII) recycling at least a part of said hydrogen and any unreacted C1-4 alkane to the feed using a recycle stream, wherein the hydrogen content of the recycle stream is 3 to 35 vol %.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.