97/02767 Light olefins from coal derived syngas

Abstract

Synthesis of methanol from coal-derived synthesis gas is a well established technology, and methanol has been used as a feedstock for the synthesis of gasoline range hydrocarbons and olefins commercially. However, an efficient hydrocarbon synthesis process, based on a single-stage dimethyl ether synthesis from syngas, has been developed at the University of Akron. This UA/EPRI`s DTH (Dimethyl Ether to Hydrocarbons) process has significant advantages over its counterpart methanol conversion process in the areas of heat duties, hydrocarbon selectivities, product yield, and reactor size. Lower olefins are the intermediate products in the conversion of dimethyl ether to aromatic hydrocarbons. C{sub 2}-C{sub 4} olefins can be selectively produced by varying the operating parameters of the process, viz., temperature, pressure, DME concentration in the feed, space time, acidity of the catalyst, etc. The present work focuses on the effect of key process variables on the dimethyl ether conversion to lower olefins in a fixed bed microreactor system over ZSM-5 type zeolite catalyst. Experimental results with respect to gaseous hydrocarbon product yields and selectivities have been examined in this study.