Metallgesellschaft Aktiengesellschaft

Helmut Ried

Gerhard Cornelius

Wolfgang Hilsebein

Adolf W Gessner

Gasoline hydrocarbons are produced by a catalytic conversion of methanol under a pressure of about 5 to 100 bars and at temperatures of about 250.degree. to 500.degree. C. The high-hydrocarbon product of the conversion is cooled so as to condense gasoline hydrocarbons. Tail gas is separated and then compressed and recycled to the conversion. In a heating step, liquid methanol is injected into a mixture of tail gas and methanol vapor and the liquid methanol is entirely evaporated. The resulting mixture of tail gas and methanol vapor is heated by about 10.degree. to 40.degree. C. by an indirect heat exchange with the high-hydrocarbon product. The heating step consists of the injection of liquid methanol and of the heating of the mixture of tail gas and methanol vapor and is repeated at least twice. The mixture at a temperature of about 280.degree. to 360.degree. C. is supplied to the catalytic conversion. Immediately before the first injection of liquid methanol, the tail gas is usually at a temperature in the range of about 60.degree. to 120.degree. C. The rate at which liquid methanol is injected in one heating step is preferably controlled so that the temperature of the mixture of tail gas and methanol vapor is reduced by about 10.degree. to 40.degree. C.

Growing community of inventors

Karben, Germany

Helmut Ried