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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Process for producing synthetic natural gas and high octane motor fuel components

Patent ·
OSTI ID:6280606

Engelhard Minerals and Chemicals Corp.'s process produces both synthetic natural gas and high-octane motor-fuel blending stock by catalytically reforming a naphtha feedstock containing naphthenes of low severity, thereby maximizing production of aromatics and hydrogen by dehydrogenation of naphthenes and minimizing hydrocracking of paraffins. The effluent from the reforming reaction zone is cooled and separated in a first separation zone into a hydrogen-rich gas stream and a liquid low-octane reformate (aromatics and paraffins and less than about 10% naphthenes and having an octane number of less than about 95). The low-octane reformate, stripped of any hydrogen sulfide if significant amounts (more than about 5 ppM) are present, is then introduced without removal of any organic sulfur-containing compounds into a methanation zone for contact with a nonacidic methanation catalyst in the presence of hydrogen. The effluent from the methanation zone is separated into (1) a high-octane motor-fuel blending-stock component comprising a higher percentage of aromatics than existed in the original low-octane reformate and (2) an SNG stream comprising essentially methane, less than 5% hydrocarbons having more than one carbon atom per molecule, and less than 10% hydrogen.

Assignee:
Engelhard Minerals and Chemicals Corp.
Patent Number(s):
US 4073716
OSTI ID:
6280606
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English