Method for producing hydrocarbons and alcohols

• US 10,384,993 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2016
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SABIC Global Technologies BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: SABIC Global Technologies BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Ahmed, Labeeb Chaudhary, Karim, Khalid, Al-Hammad, Ali
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta, Medhanit W
• Application Number:
  US15/572,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20180290953A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 4/001 Feed or outlet devices as such, e.g. feeding tubes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/025 containing a partial oxidation step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0255 containing a non-catalytic partial oxidation step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0261 containing a catalytic partial oxidation step [CPO]
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/061 Methanol production
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/062 Hydrocarbon production, e.g. Fischer-Tropsch process
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1241 Natural gas or methane
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1258 Pre-treatment of the feed
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/36 using oxygen or mixtures containing oxygen as gasifying agents
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/386 Catalytic partial combustion
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 1/0485 Set-up of reactors or accessories; Multi-step processes
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 1/24 by elimination of water
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 11/04 Ethylene
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 11/06 Propene
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 11/08 with four carbon atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 11/107 with six carbon atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 29/1516 Multisteps
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 29/1518 one step being the formation of initial mixture of carbon oxides and hydrogen for synthesis
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 29/152 characterised by the reactor used
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 31/04 Methanol
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 31/08 : Ethanol
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 9/04 : Methane production by treatment of sewage C02F11/04; natural gas, synthetic natural gas C10L3/06
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 9/06 : Ethane
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 9/08 : Propane
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 9/10 : with four carbon atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 9/14 : with five to fifteen carbon atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2/32 : with the use of catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2/34 : Apparatus, reactors
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 3/00 : Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oxygen-containing organic materials, e.g. fatty oils, fatty acids production from non-melting solid oxygen-containing carbonaceous materials C10G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 3/103 : Sulfur containing contaminants
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 3/105 : of nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 30/20 : using bio-feedstock

Abstract

In accordance with the present invention, disclosed herein is a method comprising the steps for producing lower molecular weight C1-C5 hydrocarbons and alcohols. Also disclosed herein, are systems utilized to produce low molecular weight C1-C5 hydrocarbons and alcohols.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

a) providing natural gas comprising methane and N₂;

b) removing at least a portion of the N₂from the natural gas, thereby producing a first gas comprising methane and less than about 2 mole % of N₂;

c) converting at least a portion of the first gas to synthesis gas comprising H₂ and CO;

d) converting at least a portion of the synthesis gas to a first product stream comprising methane, C2-C9 hydrocarbons, C10+ hydrocarbons, unreacted synthesis gas, and CO₂;

d1) separating at least a portion of the methane from the first product stream;

e) separating at least a portion of the unreacted synthesis gas from the first product stream; and

f) converting at least a portion of the unreacted synthesis gas to a first alcohol product comprising methanol and C2+ alcohols.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first gas comprises less than about 1.5 mole % of N₂.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of converting at least a portion of the first gas to synthesis gas comprising H₂ and CO is performed in a partial oxidation reactor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least about 80 wt % of the first gas is converted to the synthesis gas comprising H₂ and CO.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first product stream comprises at least about 60 wt % of C2-C5 hydrocarbons.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first product stream comprises from about 40 wt % to about 70 wt % of C2-C5 olefins.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of separating at least a portion of the unreacted synthesis gas from the first product stream comprises lowering the pressure of the first product stream, thereby lowering the temperature of the first product stream.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least about 90 wt % of the first alcohol product comprises methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol, or pentanol, or any combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of separating of at least a portion of CO₂from the first product stream.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least a portion of the separated CO₂is recycled back to the step of converting the at least a portion of the first gas to synthesis gas comprising H₂ and CO.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of separating at least a portion of C2-C3 hydrocarbons from the first product stream.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of separating at least a portion of the methanol from the first alcohol product, thereby producing a second product comprising C2+ alcohols.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises the step of dehydrating at least a portion of the C2+ alcohols in the second product to C2+ olefins.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the natural gas further comprises sulfur and wherein the method further comprises the step of removing at least a portion of the sulfur from the natural gas.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises the step of separating at least a portion of C2-C3 olefins from the at least a portion of C2-C3 hydrocarbons, thereby producing a third product.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein at least a portion of the third product is recycled into the first gas.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of separating at least a portion of the C10+ hydrocarbons from the first product stream.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises:

a) providing natural gas comprising methane, N₂, and sulfur;

b) removing at least a portion of the sulfur from the natural gas;

c) removing at least a portion of the N₂from the natural gas, thereby producing first gas comprising methane and less than about 1 mole % of N₂;

d) converting at least a portion of the first gas to synthesis gas comprising H₂ and CO, wherein the conversion comprises partially oxidizing the first gas;

e) converting at least a portion of the synthesis gas to a first product stream comprising methane, C2-C9 hydrocarbons, C10+ hydrocarbons, aromatics, unreacted synthesis gas, wax, and CO₂, wherein the conversion comprises reacting a portion of the H₂ and a portion of the CO in synthesis gas in the presence of a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst;

f) separating at least a portion of the wax from the first product stream;

g) separating at least a portion of the CO₂from the first product stream;

h) separating at least a portion of the methane from the first product stream;

i) converting at least a portion of the unreacted synthesis gas in the first product stream to a first alcohol product comprising methanol and C2+ alcohols;

j) separating at least a portion of the methanol from the first alcohol product, thereby producing a second product; and

k) dehydrating the at least a portion of the C2+ alcohols in the second product to C2+ olefins.