Process of producing methanol

Abstract

In the production of methanol from gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons having a higher C/H ratio than is stoichiometrically required to produce methanol, wherein said hydrocarbons are catalytically cracked in the presence of water vapor and at a temperature of about 350.degree.-950.degree. C. and under a pressure of about 5-30 bars to produce a synthesis gas containing hydrogen and oxides of carbon, followed by a catalytic reaction of the hydrogen with the oxides of carbon at a temperature of about 230.degree.-280.degree. C. and under a pressure of about 30-150 bars to produce methanol, the improvement which comprises treating the methanol synthesis exhaust gas so as to remove therefrom carbonaceous gaseous constituents so that the residual gas is high in hydrogen, and adding said high-hydrogen residual gas to the hydrocarbons prior to cracking in an amount such that the C/H ratio of the material to be cracked is up to about 5.7, thereby reducing the energy consumption per unit of methanol produced. Advantageously, the cracking of said hydrocarbons is effected in two stages, the carbonaceous gaseous constituents removed from the methanol synthesis exhaust gas being used for indirect heating of the second cracking stage. The removal of the carbonaceous gaseous constituents from the methanol synthesis exhaust gas is effected by contacting such exhaust gas with a molecular sieve, at least part of the high-hydrogen residual gas being added to the hydrocarbons before the second stage, the mixture of hydrocarbons and high-hydrogen residual gas being treated to effect hydrogenation and desulfurization of the hydrocarbons.