The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 30, 2000
Filed:
Dec. 17, 1998
Xiang-Dong Peng, Orefield, PA (US);
Andrew Wilson Wang, Alburtis, PA (US);
Bernard Allen Toseland, Allentown, PA (US);
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., Allentown, PA (US);
Abstract
A process is set forth for converting synthesis gas into dimethyl ether (DME) in a single step comprising contacting the synthesis gas with a bifunctional catalyst system having a methanol synthesis functionality and a methanol dehydration functionality. In particular, the present invention is an improvement to said process for increasing the stability of the bifunctional catalyst system, particularly when the process is conducted in the liquid phase. The improvement comprises introducing a methanol containing stream into the DME reactor such that the methanol concentration throughout the DME reactor is maintained at a concentration greater than 1.0%, generally between 4.0% and 8.0%. In one embodiment of the present invention, the methanol containing stream comprises at least a portion of the byproduct methanol from the DME reactor such that said portion of byproduct methanol is introduced into the DME reactor as a recycle stream.