Integrated process for the production of methanol and methyl acetate

摘要

Integrated process for the production of methyl acetate and methanol. The process is carried out by carbonylating dimethyl ether with synthesis gas, recovering methyl acetate and unreacted synthesis gas and supplying unreacted synthesis gas and fresh synthesis gas for methanol synthesis.

主权项

1. An integrated process for the production of methyl acetate and methanol which process comprises:
(i) supplying a first synthesis gas and dimethyl ether to a carbonylation reaction zone and reacting therein the dimethyl ether and the synthesis gas in the presence of a carbonylation catalyst to form a gaseous carbonylation reaction product comprising methyl acetate and a synthesis gas enriched in hydrogen gas relative to the hydrogen content of the feed synthesis gas and wherein the carbonylation catalyst is an aluminosilicate zeolite which comprises at least one channel which is defined by an 8-membered ring; (ii) withdrawing carbonylation reaction product from the carbonylation reaction zone and recovering therefrom a methyl acetate-rich liquid stream and a synthesis gas stream which synthesis gas stream is split into a major portion and a minor portion and wherein the major portion is recycled to the carbonylation reaction zone and the minor portion is scrubbed with a scrubbing solvent; and (iii) supplying the minor portion of the synthesis gas and a second synthesis gas to a methanol synthesis zone and contacting therein the synthesis gas with a methanol synthesis catalyst to form a methanol synthesis product comprising methanol and unconverted synthesis gas.