Oxidative coupling of methane

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for oxidative coupling of methane (OCM), comprising the steps of: (a) contacting, in a reactor, oxygen and methane with an OCM catalyst, resulting in a reactor effluent comprising ethylene, ethane, methane, carbon dioxide and water; (b) cooling at least a part of the reactor effluent as obtained in step (a) to obtain a liquid stream comprising water and agas stream comprising ethylene, ethane, methane and carbon dioxide; (c) removing carbon dioxide from at least a part of the gas stream comprising ethylene, ethane, methane and carbon dioxide as obtained in step (b) resulting in a gas stream comprising ethylene, ethane and methane; (d) recovering a stream comprising methane, a stream comprising ethane and a stream comprising ethylene from at leasta part of the gas stream comprising ethylene, ethane and methane as obtained in step (c); (e) recycling at least a part of the stream comprising methane as obtained in step (d) to step (a); (f) converting ethane from the stream comprising ethane as obtained in step (d) to ethylene by subjecting the ethane to oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) conditions.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to a method for oxidative coupling (OCM) of methane. Background technique [0002] Methane is a valuable resource that is used not only as fuel but also to synthesize compounds such as higher hydrocarbons. [0003] Methane can be converted to other compounds through indirect conversion, where methane is converted to synthesis gas (hydrogen and carbon monoxide), which is then reacted with the synthesis gas during the Fischer-Tropsch process. However, such indirect conversions are expensive and energy-intensive. [0004] Therefore, the industry hopes to be able to convert methane directly into other compounds without the need to generate intermediates such as synthesis gas. For this reason, the research of methane oxidative coupling (OCM) method has received more and more attention in recent years. [0005] The oxidative coupling of methane converts methane into saturated and unsaturated non-aromatic hydrocarbons with 2 or more c...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

However, the disadvantage is that after recycling to the OCM step where the OCM catalyst is used, ethane tends to burn to carbon dioxide rather than dehydrogenate to ethylene

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