Process for the conversion of hydrocarbons to alcohols

Abstract

Process for converting a hydrocarbon feedstock into alcohol(s), wherein the hydrocarbons are first converted into syngas, which is subsequently converted into alcohols. The process is carried out by performing the steps of (1) converting a hydrocarbon feedstock, together with an oxygen feedstock, in a auto-thermal reactor (ATR), into a stream A, containing a mixture of carbon oxide(s) and hydrogen, (2) converting at least part of stream A, in the presence of a catalyst in a oxygenate synthesis reactor under a temperature between 150 and 400° C. and a pressure of 20 to 200 bar, into an alcohols stream B containing methanol, ethanol, propanol, H2, C1-C3 alkanes, CO, CO2 and water, (3) separating stream B, into a stream C containing the CO, C1-C3 alkanes, H2 and methanol; a stream D containing the CO2; and recovering a stream E containing the ethanol, propanol(s) and water, (4) treating a fraction of stream C in order to separate the fraction into a stream containing CO, and a stream containing H2 and the C1-C3 alkanes, (5) reintroducing at least part of stream C together with the stream containing CO from step 4 into the oxygenate synthesis reactor of step 2, and (6) reintroducing at least part of stream D into the auto-thermal reactor of step (1).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.