Methods for improving higher alcohol yields from syngas by altering flow regimes within a reactor
AssigneeStandard Alcohol Company of America, Inc.
InventorsPeter J. Tijm, Faisal Baksh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Mixed alcohols are produced from syngas. The syngas is provided to a catalyst in a reactor at selected temperatures and pressures. Reactive products, including mixed alcohols, are removed from the reactor. Non-reactive components are removed from the mixed alcohols of their reaction products. At least part of the non-reactive components are reintroduced in the reactor along with syngas. The non-reactive components are a solvent or a supercritical fluid. The nonreactive components can be reintroduced into the reactor with reactive components such as methanol or CO2.
Claims11
A method for producing alcohols from syngas, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a catalyst in a mixed alcohol synthesis reactor, wherein the catalyst is retained in the reactor during operation of the reactor;
- b) providing syngas to the reactor, the reactor operating in a temperature range of 240-400 degrees C. and at pressures of 500-2500 psi, and contacting the syngas with the catalyst in the presence of liquid non-reacting components, wherein reaction products are formed, the reaction products comprising mixed alcohols;
- c) removing at least a portion of the reaction products from the reactor, while retaining the catalyst in the reactor;
- d) removing liquid non-reactive components from the mixed alcohols of the reaction products;
- e) maintaining the temperature in the reactor in the temperature range by reintroducing at least part of the liquid non-reactive components into the reactor and interacting the syngas with the reintroduced liquid non-reactive components and with the catalyst in a trickle bed mode so as to produce further reaction products that comprise mixed alcohols, wherein the liquid non-reactive components are solvents selected from the group consisting of decane, cetane, decahydronapthalene and C11-C20 hydrocarbons.
A method for producing alcohols from syngas, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a catalyst in a mixed alcohol synthesis reactor, wherein the catalyst is retained in the reactor during operation of the reactor;
- b) providing syngas to the reactor, the reactor operating in a temperature range of 240-400 degrees C. and at pressures of 500-2500 psi, and contacting the syngas with the catalyst in the presence of non-reacting components, wherein reaction products are formed, the reaction products comprising mixed alcohols;
- c) removing at least a portion of the reaction products from the reactor, while retaining the catalyst in the reactor;
- d) removing non-reactive components from the mixed alcohols of the reaction products;
- e) maintaining the temperature in the reactor in the temperature range by reintroducing at least part of the non-reactive components into the reactor and interacting the syngas with the reintroduced non-reactive components and with the catalyst in a wet mode so as to produce further reaction products that comprise mixed alcohols, wherein the reintroduced non-reactive components are liquid at standard room temperature and pressure and which non-reactive components are supercritical in the reactor, wherein the supercritical fluid is selected from the group consisting of pentane, hexane, heptane, acetone, and acetonitrile.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.