Process for the manufacture of mixtures of formaldehyde and methanol by partial oxidation of methane
First Claim
1. In a continuous process for the partial oxidation of methane to formaldehyde and methanol using oxygen or oxygen containing oxidizing gases, by allowing methane or a methane/inert gas mixture and oxidizing gas to flow together in a combustion tube under a pressure of more than 5 bars after the methane or the methane/inert gas mixture has been heated separately to 300°
- to 600°
C., reacting the gas mixture resulting from the combination of said gases in a reaction zone of said combustion tube in the form of a flame by self-ignition at 300°
to 600°
C. to produce methanol and formaldehyde, cooling the reaction mixture and separating the resulting products, the improvement which comprises feeding the oxidizing gas concentrically into a stream of methane or a methane/inert gas mixture, the velocity of which, measured in the cylindrical section of the combustion tube, is 1 to 15 m. second-1, the velocity of the oxidizing gas being 50 to 300 m. second-1 higher than that of the methane or methane/inert gas mixture and the volume of the stream of methane gas being 3 to 100 times greater than that of the stream of oxidizing gas, said inert gas being a gas inert under the reaction conditions.
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Abstract
A continuous process for the partial oxidation of methane to produce mixtures of formaldehyde and methanol wherein methane and an oxidizing gas are reacted in a reaction zone in the form of a flame and the resulting reaction mixture is cooled followed by separation of the resulting products, is further improved by controlling the velocity of the oxidizing gas so that it is 50 to 300 meters per second higher than the methane gas with the methane gas being introduced in a velocity of from 1 to 15 meters per second. Also, the stream of methane gas has a volume that is 3 to 100 times greater than the volume of the stream of oxidizing gas introduced into the reaction zone.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. In a continuous process for the partial oxidation of methane to formaldehyde and methanol using oxygen or oxygen containing oxidizing gases, by allowing methane or a methane/inert gas mixture and oxidizing gas to flow together in a combustion tube under a pressure of more than 5 bars after the methane or the methane/inert gas mixture has been heated separately to 300°
- to 600°
C., reacting the gas mixture resulting from the combination of said gases in a reaction zone of said combustion tube in the form of a flame by self-ignition at 300°
to 600°
C. to produce methanol and formaldehyde, cooling the reaction mixture and separating the resulting products, the improvement which comprises feeding the oxidizing gas concentrically into a stream of methane or a methane/inert gas mixture, the velocity of which, measured in the cylindrical section of the combustion tube, is 1 to 15 m. second-1, the velocity of the oxidizing gas being 50 to 300 m. second-1 higher than that of the methane or methane/inert gas mixture and the volume of the stream of methane gas being 3 to 100 times greater than that of the stream of oxidizing gas, said inert gas being a gas inert under the reaction conditions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
- to 600°
Specification