US 4,927,857 AGranted

Method of methanol production

AssigneeEngelhard Corporation

InventorsWilliam T. McShea, III, Robert M. Yarrington

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A process for methanol production includes preparing a hydrogen containing synthesis gas by autothermally reforming a hydrocarbonaceous feed, such as a hydrocarbon feed, with oxygen and steam in an autothermal reformer utilizing a first, monolithic catalyst having a palladium and platinum containing catalyst therein, and a second, platinum group metal steam reforming catalyst. The autothermal reformer provides a relatively simple and compact reactor within which a wide variety of hydrocarbonaceous feeds, from heavy hydrocarbon feedstocks to natural gas, may be utilized for producing methanol synthesis gas, which is advantageously carried out at an elevated pressure. By controlling H.sub.2 O to carbon and O.sub.2 to carbon feed ratios, a given feed can be autothermally reformed to yield a synthesis gas of desired ratio of 1 H.sub.2 to (2CO+3CO.sub.2) for methanol production.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A process for the production of methanol from a hydrocarbonaceous feed, comprising the steps of:

(a) preheating an inlet stream comprising a hydrocarbonaceous feed, H.sub.2 O, and oxygen to a preheat temperature sufficiently high to initiate catalytic oxidation of said feed as defined below;
(b) introducing the preheated inlet stream into a first catalyst zone comprising a monolithic body having a plurality of gas flow passages extending therethrough and having a catalytically effective amount of palladium and platinum catalytic components dispersed therein, the amounts of feed, H.sub.2 O, and oxygen introduced into said first catalyst zone being controlled to maintain is said inlet stream an H.sub.2 O to C ratio of from about 0.5 to 3 and an O.sub.2 to c ratio of from about 0.35 to 0.65;
(c) contacting the preheated inlet stream within said first catalyst zone with said palladium and platinum catalytic components to initiate and sustain therein catalytic oxidation of said feed to produce hydrogen and carbon oxides therefrom the temperature of at least about 250.degree. F. (139.degree. C.) greater than the ignition temperature of said inlet stream, and oxidizing in said first catalyst zone a quantity, less than all, of said feed, which quantity is sufficient to heat such first zone effluent to an elevated temperature high enough to catalytically steam reform, within a second catalyst zone defined below, hydrocarbon remaining is such first zone effluent without supplying external heat thereto;
(d) passing the first zone effluent, while still at an elevated temperature, from said first catalyst zone to a second catalyst zone containing a platinum group metal steam reforming catalyst therein, and contacting the first zone effluent is said second catalyst zone with said reforming catalyst to react hydrocarbons therein with H.sub.2 O to produce hydrogen and carbon oxides therefrom;
(e) withdrawing the effluent of said second catalyst zone as said hydrogen-rich synthesis gas and cooling said synthesis gas;
(f) passing said synthesis gas from step (e) to a methanol synthesis loop to react the hydrogen with carbon oxides thereof over a methanol synthesis catalyst at methanol synthesis conditions;
and
(g) withdrawing methanol as product from said methanol synthesis loop.

5 more elements

A process for the production of methanol from a hydrocarbon feed, comprising the steps of:

(a) preheating an inlet stream comprising a hydrocarbon feed, H.sub.2 O, and oxygen to a preheat temperature of about 800.degree. F. to 1400.degree. F. (427.degree. C. to 760.degree. C.) and introducing the preheated inlet stream at a pressure of from about 100 to 1500 psia into a first catalyst zone comprising a monolithic body having a plurality of gas flow passages extending therethrough and having a catalytically effective amount of palladium and platinum catalytic components dispersed therein, the amounts of hydrocarbonaceous feed, H.sub.2 O and oxygen introduced into said first catalyst zone being controlled to maintain in said inlet stream a H.sub.2 O to C ratio of from about 0.5 to 3, and an O.sub.2 to C ratio of from about 0.4 to 0.65;
(b) contacting the preheated inlet stream within said first catalyst zone with said palladium and platinum catalytic components at a volumetric hourly rate of at least about 100,000 volumes of throughput per volume of catalyst per hour to initiate and sustain therein catalytic oxidation of said hydrocarbonaceous feed to produce hydrogen and carbon oxides therefrom and oxidizing in said first catalyst zone a quantity, less than all, of said hydrocarbonaceous feed, which quantity is sufficient to heat such first zone effluent to an elevated temperature of from about 1750.degree. F. to 2400.degree. F. (954.degree. C. to 1316.degree. C.);
(c) passing the first zone effluent, while still at said elevated temperature, from said first catalyst zone to a second catalyst zone containing a platinum group metal steam reforming catalyst therein, and contacting the first zone effluent in said second catalyst zone with said steam reforming catalyst at an hourly volumetric rate of from about 2,000 to 20,000 volumes of throughput per volume of catalyst to react hydrocarbons therein with H.sub.2 O to produce hydrogen and carbon oxides therefrom;
(d) withdrawing the effluent of said second catalyst zone as a hydrogen-rich synthesis gas, and cooling said synthesis gas;
(e) passing said synthesis gas from step (d) to a methanol synthesis loop to react the hydrogen with carbon oxides thereof over a methanol synthesis catalyst at methanol synthesis conditions;
and
(f) withdrawing methanol as product from said methanol synthesis loop.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/298,875Filed 18 Jan 1989 · continuation
Priority: 30 Sep 1982
Granted: 22 May 1990
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

C01B 3/382
Using catalysts: processes with two or more reaction steps, of which at least one is catalytic, e.g. steam reforming and partial oxidation
C01B 2203/142
Details of the flowsheet: at least two reforming, decomposition or partial oxidation steps in series
C01B 2203/146
Details of the flowsheet: at least two purification steps in series
C01B 2203/147
At least two purification steps in series: three or more purification steps in series