Process for the synthesis of a methanol/dimethyl ether mixture from synthesis gas.

摘要

A process for the production of a DME/methanol product mixture rich in DME from a make-up stream of an essentially stoichiometrically balanced synthesis gas comprising H2/CO/CO2, comprising the process steps of: (a) passing a stream of synthesis gas through a cooled reactor containing a catalyst active in methanol formation from synthesis gas, forming a effluent stream enriched in methanol; (b) bringing the effluent from step (a) in contact with a catalyst active in dehydration of methanol, forming a synthesis gas stream further enriched in DME; (c) withdrawing the enriched synthesis gas stream from step (b) and separating the stream into a DME/methanol product mixture rich in DME and a partly converted synthesis gas stream; and (d) recycling a predetermined amount of the partly converted synthesis gas stream to the make-up stream of synthesis gas, forming the synthesis gas stream of step (a).