Selective oxidative conversion of methane to methanol, dimethyl ether and derived products
AssigneeUniversity of Southern California
InventorsGeorge A. Olah, G. K. Surya Prakash
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a method of producing methanol from a methane source by oxidizing methane under conditions sufficient to a mixture of methanol and formaldehyde while minimizing the formation of formic acid and carbon dioxide. The oxidation step is followed by treatment step in which formaldehyde is converted into methanol and formic acid which itself can further be converted into methanol via catalytic hydrogenation of intermediately formed methyl formate.
Claims16
A method of commercially producing methanol which comprises oxidizing methane in the presence of a catalyst under conditions sufficient to produce an oxidation mixture of methanol and formaldehyde;
- converting the formaldehyde under conditions sufficient to form methyl formate;
- and subsequently hydrogenatively converting the methyl formate under conditions sufficient to form methanol;
- wherein the oxidation mixture is treated without separation of its components to convert the formaldehyde therein to methyl alcohol and formic acid, which are then subsequently converted under conditions sufficient to form methyl formate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.