Process of producing town gas from methanol

摘要

A process of producing a town-gas-grade fuel gas having a calorific value below 18,000 kJ/standard m3 (4,300 kcal/standard m3) by a catalytic reaction of methanol and water vapor under a pressure of 10 to 50 bars is disclosed wherein 80 to 95 percent of the mixed feedstock (methanol and water vapor) is fed in a water vapor to methanol weight ratio of 0.5 to 1.5 to a first reaction zone where it is maintained at a temperature of 300 DEG to 700 DEG C. in contact with a nickel catalyst containing 25 to 50 weight percent nickel, the remainder of the mixed feedstock being mixed with the effluent gas from the first reaction zone and together passed to a second reaction zone at a temperature of 200 DEG to 400 DEG C. and therein contacted with a copper catalyst containing 40 to 70 percent by weight copper.