Method for converting methane to ethylene
AssigneeSaudi Basic Industries Corporation
InventorsAghaddin Kh. Mammadov, Michael E. Huckman, Xiankuan Zhang
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Abstract
In an embodiment, a process for producing ethylene comprising: introducing a methane stream comprising methane, oxygen, and water to a methane coupling zone; reacting the methane, the oxygen, and the water in the methane coupling zone via a methane oxidative coupling reaction to produce a first product stream; introducing the first product stream to a pyrolysis zone; and pyrolyzing ethane in the first product stream in the pyrolysis zone to produce a second product stream comprising ethylene. A heat from the methane coupling reaction is used in the pyrolysis reaction.
Claims20
A process for producing ethylene comprising:
- introducing a methane stream comprising methane, oxygen, and water to a methane coupling zone;
- reacting the methane, the oxygen, and the water in the methane coupling zone via a methane oxidative coupling reaction to produce a first product stream;
- introducing the first product stream to a pyrolysis zone;
- and
- pyrolyzing ethane in the first product stream in the pyrolysis zone to produce a second product stream comprising ethylene;
- wherein a heat from the methane coupling reaction is used in the pyrolysis reaction.
A process for producing ethylene comprising:
- introducing a methane stream comprising methane, oxygen, and water to a methane coupling zone;
- reacting the methane, the oxygen, and the water in the methane coupling zone via a methane oxidative coupling reaction to produce a first product stream;
- introducing the first product stream to a pyrolysis zone;
- and
- pyrolyzing ethane in the first product stream in the pyrolysis zone to produce a second product stream comprising ethylene;
- wherein a heat from the methane coupling reaction is used in the pyrolysis reaction;
- wherein the methane oxidative coupling reaction occurs in an oxidative conversion zone in a reactor and the pyrolyzing occurs in a pyrolysis zone in the same reactor.
A process for producing ethylene comprising:
- separating natural gas into a methane stream and an ethane stream;
- introducing the methane stream comprising methane, oxygen, and water to a methane coupling zone;
- reacting the methane, the oxygen, and the water in the methane coupling zone via a methane oxidative coupling reaction to produce a first product stream;
- introducing the first product stream and the ethane stream to a pyrolysis zone;
- pyrolyzing ethane in the first product stream in the pyrolysis zone to produce a second product stream comprising greater than or equal to 10 vol % ethylene based on the total volume of the second product stream;
- and
- separating a recycle ethane stream from the second product stream and introducing the recycle ethane stream to the pyrolysis zone;
- wherein a heat from the methane coupling reaction is used in the pyrolysis reaction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.