Methanol Manufacturing Process

Lurgi Methanol Process

http://www.lurgi.com/website/fileadmin/user_upload/1_PDF/1_Broshures_Flyer/englisch/0312e_MegaMethan
ol.pdf

Isothermal Reactor
Carbon Monoxide, Carbon Dioxide, and Hydrogen are converted to Methanol at
temperatures at about 500 F and pressures around 1000 psig in the presence of a copper
based catalyst according to:

Oxygen blown synthesis gas production combination with steam reforming or as

pure autothermal reforming
Autothermal reforming is used when light natural gas is used as feedstock
o Two step methanol synthesis in water and gas cooled reactors
o Hydrogen recovery
Synthesis gas production
o To generate optimum synthesis gas:
o

Vertical shell and tube heat exchanger

Catalyst is in tubes and rests on a bed of inert material
Steam pressure control permits exact control of reaction temperature
Achieves high yields at low recycle ratios and minimizes by product production
The water cooled reactor prolongs the catalyst life
Crude MeOH is purified in a distillation column
o 3 Column arrangement, 1st operates at an elevated pressure, 2nd operates at
atmospheric pressure.
End of 2009 Lurgi, received 10 contracts for the MegaMethanol plant with capacities of
0.67 to 2.3 million tons/ year.

http://books.google.com/books?id=Qdnc7uKaH8C&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15&dq=ICI+low+pressure+methanol+process&source=bl&ots=tTNAgC
knvt&sig=PW_lNWSq4IzfevoR2UDMSBfoI9A&hl=en&ei=NT5OTZvvG4n2gAfyqtFC&sa=X&oi=book
_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CEMQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=ICI%20low%20pressure
%20methanol%20process&f=false Google Book: Methanol Synthesis Technology
-

Synthesis reactor operates at temperatures of 250F to 260F and pressure of 50 to 60 bar.

Shell and tube reactor where tubes are packed with a catalyst and heat of reaction is
removed by circulating water on the shell side.
The reactor is also a high pressure steam generator
Feedstock is naphtha, hydrocarbons, methane, gaseous hydrocarbons
Synthesis gas is generated by steam reforming or partial oxidation
o Steam reformer: 850-860C, where desulfurized naphtha and steam produce
Hydrogen and Carbon Oxides. The syngas is compressed at 50-80 bar and fed to
reactor

Atlas Methanol Production Plant, Point Lisa, Trinidad and Tobago

http://www.chemicals-technology.com/projects/atlas_methanol/

Project cost $400million

MegaMethanol from Lurgi, Built next to an existing plant
Methanol production process: oxygen synthesis gas reforming, 2 step Lugi methanol
synthesis and hydrogen recycle
Allows for the production of 5000 ton/day.
Stainless steel pipes, electrical installation

ICI ( Imperial Chemical Industries) Low Pressure Methanol Synthesis Process

http://books.google.com/books?id=Qdnc7uKaH8C&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15&dq=ICI+low+pressure+methanol+process&source=bl&ots=tTNAgC
knvt&sig=PW_lNWSq4IzfevoR2UDMSBfoI9A&hl=en&ei=NT5OTZvvG4n2gAfyqtFC&sa=X&oi=book
_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CEMQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=ICI%20low%20pressure
%20methanol%20process&f=false Google Book: Methanol Synthesis Technology
-

Low pressure methanol was developed by ICI in the late 1960s

A widely used catalyst is a mixture of Copper, Zinc Oxide, and Alumina used by ICI in 1966
1st ICI unit produced 300 tons of refined methanol per day
o Had a syngas feed containing H2, CO, CO2, CH4
o Shaft converter adjusted the CO to CO2 ratio
o Feed compressed to 50 atm in centrifugal compressor and fed to quench type
converter at 270F
o Product was cooled and methanol was condensed out
o Purge gas stream was recycled to a reformer to convert accumulated methanol into
synthesis gas
o Low pressure operation meant lower methanol concentration therefore higher
recycle rates
o The crude methanol that was produced by the low pressure process contained
water, dimethyl ether, esters, ketones, iron carbonyls, and higher alcohols.
Linde Isothermal Reactor
http://www.lindeengineering.com/en/process_plants/hydrogen_and_synthesis_gas_plants/gas_products/met
hanol/index.html#
Fixed bed reactor cooled by coiled pipes and catalyst is cooled and maintained at
Optimum Temp. by steam production
Uses the ICI methanol technology

Process for the synthesis of a Methanol and DME Mixture from Synthesis Gas
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6191175.pdf