Toyo Engineering Corporation

Catalysts and Chemicals Inc., Far East

Kazuo Shoji

Toshio Matsuhisa

Toru Numaguchi

Hideaki Yanaru

Satoshi Terai

Yasuhiro Izawa

Yasuo Nishioka

Ryuichi Mogami

A process for producing dimethyl ether, which includes dehydrating methanol in vapor phase in the presence of an activated alumina catalyst having an average pore radius of 2.5 nm to 8.0 nm both inclusive and having a sodium oxide content of 0.07 wt % or less. This invention provides a process for producing DME with an improved conversion ratio using a highly active DME-production catalyst.

Process for producing dimethyl ether

To provide an improved steam reforming catalyst for lower hydrocarbons which is highly active and has a high crushing strength. An improved steam reforming catalyst for lower hydrocarbons comprising a support constituted of CaO and Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 and an active component comprising nickel or a platinum-group metal. The content of CaO is 0.5 to 25 wt% based on the catalyst, and at least part of the CaO forms compounds with the A1.sub.2 O.sub.3. The support has a void fraction X of pores with a diameter of 0.5 .mu.m to 20 .mu.m of 0.08 or higher, a void fraction Y of pores with a diameter smaller than 0.5 .mu.m of 0.15 or higher, and a total void fraction Z of 0.23 to 0.8 (provided that Z.ltoreq.(X+Y)).

Steam reforming catalysts for lower hydrocarbons

Growing community of inventors

Chiba, Japan

Kazuo Shoji