Methanol Manufacturing Process
Lurgi Methanol Process
http://www.lurgi.com/website/fileadmin/user_upload/1_PDF/1_Broshures_Flyer/englisch/0312e_MegaMethanol.pdf
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Isothermal Reactor
Carbon Monoxide, Carbon Dioxide, and Hydrogen are converted to Methanol at temperatures at about 500 ºF
and pressures around 1000 psig in the presence of a copper based catalyst according to:
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Oxygen blown synthesis gas production combination with steam reforming or as pure autothermal
reforming
 Autothermal reforming is used when light natural gas is used as feedstock
o Two step methanol synthesis in water and gas cooled reactors
o Hydrogen recovery
Synthesis gas production
o To generate optimum synthesis gas:
Vertical shell and tube heat exchanger
Catalyst is in tubes and rests on a bed of inert material
Steam pressure control permits exact control of reaction temperature
Achieves high yields at low recycle ratios and minimizes by product production
The water cooled reactor prolongs the catalyst life
Crude MeOH is purified in a distillation column
o 3 Column arrangement, 1st operates at an elevated pressure, 2nd operates at atmospheric pressure.
End of 2009 Lurgi, received 10 contracts for the MegaMethanol plant with capacities of 0.67 to 2.3 million tons/
year.
http://books.google.com/books?id=Qdnc7uKaH8C&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15&dq=ICI+low+pressure+methanol+process&source=bl&ots=tTNAgCknvt&sig=PW_lNWSq4Izfe
voR2UDMSBfoI9A&hl=en&ei=NT5OTZvvG4n2gAfyqtFC&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CEMQ6AEw
BQ#v=onepage&q=ICI%20low%20pressure%20methanol%20process&f=false Google Book: Methanol Synthesis
Technology
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Synthesis reactor operates at temperatures of 250F to 260F and pressure of 50 to 60 bar.
Shell and tube reactor where tubes are packed with a catalyst and heat of reaction is removed by circulating
water on the shell side.
The reactor is also a high pressure steam generator
Feedstock is naphtha, hydrocarbons, methane, gaseous hydrocarbons
Synthesis gas is generated by steam reforming or partial oxidation
o Steam reformer: 850-860C, where desulfurized naphtha and steam produce Hydrogen and Carbon
Oxides. The syngas is compressed at 50-80 bar and fed to reactor
Atlas Methanol Production Plant, Point Lisa, Trinidad and Tobago
http://www.chemicals-technology.com/projects/atlas_methanol/
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Project cost $400million
MegaMethanol from Lurgi, Built next to an existing plant
Methanol production process: oxygen synthesis gas reforming, 2 step Lugi methanol synthesis and hydrogen
recycle
Allows for the production of 5000 ton/day.
Stainless steel pipes, electrical installation
ICI ( Imperial Chemical Industries) Low Pressure Methanol Synthesis Process
http://books.google.com/books?id=Qdnc7uKaH8C&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15&dq=ICI+low+pressure+methanol+process&source=bl&ots=tTNAgCknvt&sig=PW_lNWSq4Izfe
voR2UDMSBfoI9A&hl=en&ei=NT5OTZvvG4n2gAfyqtFC&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CEMQ6AEw
BQ#v=onepage&q=ICI%20low%20pressure%20methanol%20process&f=false Google Book: Methanol Synthesis
Technology
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Low pressure methanol was developed by ICI in the late 1960’s
A widely used catalyst is a mixture of Copper, Zinc Oxide, and Alumina used by ICI in 1966
1st ICI unit produced 300 tons of refined methanol per day
o Had a syngas feed containing H2, CO, CO2, CH4
o Shaft converter adjusted the CO to CO2 ratio
o Feed compressed to 50 atm in centrifugal compressor and fed to quench type converter at 270°F
o Product was cooled and methanol was condensed out
o Purge gas stream was recycled to a reformer to convert accumulated methanol into synthesis gas
o Low pressure operation meant lower methanol concentration therefore higher recycle rates
o The crude methanol that was produced by the low pressure process contained water, dimethyl ether,
esters, ketones, iron carbonyls, and higher alcohols.
Linde Isothermal Reactor
http://www.lindeengineering.com/en/process_plants/hydrogen_and_synthesis_gas_plants/gas_products/methanol/index.html#
Fixed bed reactor cooled by coiled pipes and catalyst is cooled and maintained at Optimum Temp. by steam
production
Uses the ICI methanol technology
Process for the synthesis of a Methanol and DME Mixture from Synthesis Gas
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6191175.pdf