Mini-pilot plant research and demonstration on liquid phase methanol and dimethyl ether synthesis

A laboratory scale mini-pilot plant was designed, built, and operated to study the liquid phase methanol synthesis (LPMeOH{trademark}) process and the liquid phase dimethyl ether (LPDME) process in a mechanically agitated slurry reactor system, where syngas reacts in the presence of the catalyst-oil slurry which is being agitated by an impeller. A liquid phase process for the synthesis of methanol from syngas over a catalyst (Cu/ZnO/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}), has been developed. Process feasibility, kinetics, mass transfer, and thermodynamics of the LPMeOH process were investigated. The liquid phase methanol synthesis is a chemical equilibrium limited process. The productivity of methanol can be increased by successfully alleviating this chemical equilibrium limitation. A dual catalytic liquid phase process was developed, which coproduces dimethyl ether with methanol from syngas, over a hybrid catalytic system comprising of the methanol synthesis catalyst and the methanol dehydration catalyst ({gamma}-alumina). The process feasibility analysis that proves the alleviation of the equilibrium limitation will be presented. Comparisons between the hydrogenation extent, reactor productivity and syngas conversions, which are all higher in the LPDME process than in the LPMeOH process, will be presented.