# US 11,897,839 B2 · Process and system for producing dimethyl ether

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- Number: US 11,897,839 B2
- Document ID: US11897839B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/007,295
- Filed: 2020-08-31
- Published: 2020-12-24
- Granted: 2024-02-13
- Earliest claimed: 2016-01-12
- Assignees: Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek TNO
- Applicants: Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek TNO
- Inventors: Franciscus Petrus Felix Van Berkel; Hendricus Adrianus Johannes Van Dijk; Paul Dean Cobden; Willem Gerrit Haije; Jaap Ferdinand Vente
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11897839B2

## CPC

- C07C 41/01: Preparation of ethers
- B01D 53/261: {by adsorption}
- B01D 53/268: {by diffusion}
- B01J 8/0492: {Feeding reactive fluids (for solid material, see B01J8/0015)}
- B01J 19/245: {placed in series}
- C01B 3/02: Production of hydrogen; Production of gaseous mixtures containing hydrogen
- C07C 41/09: by dehydration of compounds containing hydroxy groups
- C07C 41/34: Separation; Purification; Stabilisation; Use of additives
- B01J 2208/00628: Controlling the composition of the reactive mixture
- C01B 2203/0283: containing a CO-shift step, i.e. a water gas shift step
- Y02P 20/00: Technologies relating to chemical industry
- Y02P 20/10: Process efficiency
- Y02P 20/582: Recycling of unreacted starting or intermediate materials
- C07C: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C}
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

The invention relates to an improved process and system for the synthesis of dimethyl ether (DME) from a feedstock comprising H2 and COx, wherein x=1-2. The process according to the invention comprises (a) subjecting the gaseous mixture comprising synthesis gas originating from step (c) to DME synthesis by contacting it with a catalyst capable of converting synthesis gas to DME to obtain a gaseous mixture comprising DME; (b) subjecting a gaseous mixture comprising the gaseous mixture originating from step (a) to a separation-enhanced reverse water gas shift reaction; and (c) subjecting the gaseous mixture originating from step (b) to DME/synthesis gas separation to obtain DME and a gaseous mixture comprising synthesis gas, which is recycled to step (a). Herein, the feedstock is introduced in step (a) or step (b) and the molar ratio of H2 to COx in the gaseous mixture which is subjected to step (b) is at least (x+0.8). Also a system for performing the reaction according to the invention is disclosed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for performing the synthesis of dimethyl ether (DME), comprising:
(a) a first inlet (a1) and a second inlet (a2) for receiving a feedstock comprising H2 and COx, wherein x=1-2,
(b) a reverse water gas shift reaction zone (b) for converting H2 and COx to H2O and CO, comprising an inlet (b1) for receiving a gaseous mixture, a catalyst bed (b2) comprising a reverse water gas shift catalyst and a water-selective adsorbent, and an outlet (b3) for discharging a gaseous mixture;
(c) a separator (c) comprising an inlet (c1) for receiving the gaseous mixture originating from zone (b), means (c2) for separating the gaseous mixture into DME and a gaseous mixture comprising synthesis gas, an outlet (c3) for discharging the gaseous mixture comprising synthesis gas and an outlet (c4) for discharging DME; and
(d) dimethyl ether production zone (d), comprising an inlet (d1) for receiving the gaseous mixture comprising synthesis gas originating from separator (c), a catalyst system (d2) capable of converting synthesis gas to dimethyl ether, and an outlet (d3) for discharging a gaseous mixture, wherein zone (d) is not a separation-enhanced DME synthesis (SEDMES) reaction zone;
wherein the gaseous mixture entering the inlet (b1) comprises the gaseous mixture originating from zone (d), wherein the molar ratio of H2 to COx in the gaseous mixture is at least (x+0.8);
wherein the inlet (a1) is in fluid connection with the inlet (b1) and the inlet (a2) is in fluid connection with the inlet (d1), the outlet (b3) is in fluid connection with the inlet (c1), the outlet (c3) is in fluid connection with the inlet (d1), and the outlet (d3) is in fluid connection with the inlet (b1).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein the catalyst bed (b2) contains a direct DME catalyst system and a water selective adsorbent.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein the catalyst system (d2) contains a direct DME catalyst system.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein inlet (a1) is located in reaction zone (b) or in the fluid connection between reaction zone (d) and reaction zone (b), and inlet (a2) is located in reaction zone (d) or in the fluid connection between separator (c) and reaction zone (d).