Extraction of crude methanol and conversion of raffinate

Patent · Tue May 02 04:00:00 EDT 1989

OSTI ID:5857488

Harandi, M N; Owen, H

A continuous process is described for converting crude methanol to methyl tertiary-alkyl ethers comprising the steps of: (a) contacting a crude methanolic feedstock containing a minor amount of water with a liquid olefinic hydrocarbon extraction stream rich in C/sub 4/+ iso-alkene hydrocarbon under extraction conditions favorable to selective extraction of the methanol, thereby providing an extract liquid stream rich in methanol and an aqueous raffinate stream lean in methanol; (b) charging liquid hydrocarbon extractant and extracted methanol substantially free of water to a first catalytic reaction zone for contact with acid etherification catalyst under etherification process conditions for converting methanol and iso-alkene hydrocarbon to predominantly methyl tertiary-alkyl ether; (c) fractionating the etherification effluent from step (b) to recover unreacted vapor and to recover unreacted methanol and light olefinic hydrocarbon overhead vapor and to recover liquid product containing methyl tertiary-alkyl ether; (d) catalytically upgrading olefinic overhead vapor from step (c) to provide liquid hydrocarbon product; and (e) charging at least a portion of the aqueous raffinate stream from step (a) for conversion of methanol to hydrocarbons concurrently with olefin upgrading in step (d).

• Assignee: Mobil Oil Corp., New York, NY
• Patent Number(s): US 4827046
• OSTI ID: 5857488
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
090222* -- Alcohol Fuels-- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass-- (1976-1989)
140504 -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Biomass Production & Conversion-- (-1989)
ALCOHOLS
ALKENES
ALKYL RADICALS
CATALYSIS
ETHERS
FRACTIONATION
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
METHANOL
METHYL ETHER
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
PRODUCTION
RADICALS
SEPARATION PROCESSES