Catalytic partial oxidation using staged oxygen addition

Abstract

A multistage catalytic partial oxidation (CPO) process for oxidizing a hydrocarbon feedstream comprising C -C hydrocarbons, with an oxygen-containing feedstream to produce a product comprising CO and H , also known as synthesis gas or syngas. The process employs a CPO catalyst, and controlled process features, including: (A) the total oxygen requirement for the process is introduced incrementally, in more than one reaction stage, using an oxygen-containing feedstream at more than one feed point in the process, each stage including a catalyst; (B) the oxygen-containing feedstream, hydrocarbon feedstream and, in reaction stages after the first of said multiple stages, the intermediate product produced in the prior stage, are mixed for a period of time, after they are brought into contact with one another, of less than about 1 millisecond to form a substantially uniform mixture, wherein the mixture is then contacted with the catalyst; (C) the oxygen-containing feedstream and the hydrocarbon feedstream are preheated prior to entry into the first stage, to a temperature of from about 450° C. to less than about 1,000° C.; and (D) the mixture temperature of the product in each stage following the first stage is from greater than about 600° C. to less than about 1,000° C. Preferably, the process comprises less than or equal to about five stages, the first stage preheat temperature recited in step (C) is greater than about 550° C. and the mixture temperature of the product in each stage following the first stage is at least 700° C.