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US 6,486,368 B1Granted
Integrated process for synthesizing alcohols, ethers, and olefins from alkanes
AssigneesGRT, Inc., The Regents of the University of California
InventorsXiao Ping Zhou, Ivan Marc Lorkovic, Jeffrey H. Sherman
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Abstract
Alcohols, ethers, and olefins are manufactured from alkanes by mixing an alkane and bromine in a reactor to form alkyl bromide and hydrogen bromide. The alkyl bromide only or the alkyl bromide and the hydrogen bromide are directed into contact with metal oxide to form an alcohol and/or an ether, or an olefin and metal bromide. The metal bromide is oxidized to form original metal oxide and bromine, both of which are recycled.
Claims11
A method for converting methane to methanol comprising:
- providing a quantity of methane;
- providing a quantity of bromine;
- reacting the methane with the bromine and thereby forming bromomethane, hydrogen bromide, and by products CH2Br2, CHBr3, and CBr4;
- reacting the by products with methane in the presence of an electrophilic catalyst to form bromomethane;
- reacting the methyl bromide and the hydrogen bromide with a metal oxide catalyst and thereby forming methanol and a metal bromide;
- oxidizing the metal bromide to form the original metal oxide and bromine;
- recycling the metal oxide;
- and
- recycling the bromine.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.