Johnson Matthey Davy Technologies Limited

Kar Chi Yiu

John David Pach

Alan Ingham

Madhanakrishnan Janardhanan

A process for the co-production of methanol and ammonia is described comprising the steps of: (a) forming a first synthesis gas stream by reacting a first portion of a hydrocarbon feedstock and steam in a steam reformer, (b) forming a second synthesis gas stream in parallel to the first synthesis gas stream by reacting a second portion of the hydrocarbon feedstock with an oxygen-containing gas and steam in an autothermal reformer, (c) synthesising methanol from a first process gas comprising the first synthesis gas stream, and (d) synthesising ammonia from a second process gas prepared from the second synthesis gas stream, wherein a purge stream containing hydrogen is recovered from the methanol synthesis step (c) and a portion of the purge gas stream is fed to the autothermal reformer and/or the second synthesis gas in step (b).

Process for producing methanol and ammonia

A process is described for the synthesis of methanol comprising the steps of: (i) passing a first synthesis gas mixture comprising a make-up gas and a first loop recycle gas stream through a first synthesis reactor containing a cooled methanol synthesis catalyst to form a first product gas stream, (ii) recovering methanol from the first product gas stream thereby forming a first methanol-depleted gas mixture, (iii) combining the first methanol-depleted gas mixture with a second loop recycle gas stream to form a second synthesis gas mixture, (iv) passing the second synthesis gas mixture through a second synthesis reactor containing a cooled methanol synthesis catalyst to form a second product gas stream, (v) recovering methanol from the second product gas stream thereby forming a second methanol-depleted gas mixture, and (vi) forming the first and second loop recycle gas streams from the second methanol-depleted gas mixture, wherein the first synthesis reactor has a higher heat transfer per cubic metre of catalyst than the second synthesis reactor and the recycle ratio of the first loop recycle gas stream to form the first synthesis gas mixture is in the range 0.1 to 1:1, and the recycle ratio of the second loop recycle gas stream to form the second synthesis gas mixture is in the range 1.1:1 to 6:1.

Methanol process

A process is described for the synthesis of methanol comprising the steps of: (i) passing a first synthesis gas mixture comprising a make-up gas through a first synthesis reactor containing a cooled methanol synthesis catalyst to form a first product gas stream, (ii) recovering methanol from the first product gas stream thereby forming a first methanol-depleted gas mixture, (iii) combining the first methanol-depleted gas mixture with a loop recycle gas stream to form a second synthesis gas mixture, (iv) passing the second synthesis gas mixture through a second synthesis reactor containing a cooled methanol synthesis catalyst to form a second product gas stream, (v) recovering methanol from the second product gas stream thereby forming a second methanol-depleted gas mixture, and (vi) using at least part of the second methanol-depleted gas mixture as the loop recycle gas stream, wherein the first synthesis reactor has a higher heat transfer per cubic meter of catalyst than the second synthesis reactor, none of the loop recycle gas stream is fed to the first synthesis gas mixture and the recycle ratio of the loop recycle gas stream to form the second synthesis gas mixture is in the range 1.1:1 to 6:1.

Growing community of inventors

London, United Kingdom

Kar Chi Yiu