Syngas Ethanol Process for Synthesis Gas Upgrade

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I. Introduction - The Syngas Ethanol Process

The purpose of this article is to discuss the Syngas Ethanol Process for upgrading the hydrogen and carbon monoxide (synthesis gas) produced by steam reformation¹ of natural gas and other hydrocarbons to syngas (synthesis gas), a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide as well as by a newly introduced process² from biogas (a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide). Syngas may be converted to a wide variety of organic chemicals and hydrocarbons including this conversion to ethanol.

II. Summary

A Syngas Ethanol Process utilizes syngas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide to produce methanol followed by homologation³ of the methanol with additional syngas to produce ethanol.

III. The Syngas Ethanol Process

The process described below may be utilized for conversion of synthesis gas by way of methanol synthesis. From the synthesis gas (hydrogen and carbon monoxide) followed by homogolation of the methanol with additional synthesis gas.

The Syngas Ethanol Process is described below. An ideal application is for production of the fuel E85 from the ethanol.

Reaction 1 represents the current standard practice for methanol production and was invented by Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI)⁴.
Reaction 2 represents the process recommended by Bureau of Mines personnel⁵.
Conversion Processes can be located at www.ricestrawmarket.org under consulting, energy and chemicals.

IV. Conclusions:

The Syngas Ethanol Process should be utilized to upgrade synthesis gas for production of methanol and of ethanol by homologation of the methanol with additional synthesis gas.

V. Recommendations:

Design a plant to produce both methanol and ethanol from synthesis gas for utilization as fuel oxygenates.

R. J. Robinson
Conversion Processes
9700 Elmira Circle
Sacramento, CA 95827-112916
916-363-9705
r.j.robinson@att.net

We thank R. J. Robinson for submitting this specific information to: abc-alternative-energy.de

VI. References: Syngas Ethanol Process

¹ Manufacturing & Technology International, Inc., Baltimore, MD. Company brochure
Entitled "MTCI/ThermoChem Steam Reforming Technology" p.3, Fig 1 Diagram of syngas conversion processes covered in this report
² http://www.abc-alternative-energy.de/bioenergy/pyrolysis-syngas.html
³ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homologation_reaction
⁴ US Patent US5,137,924, Glyn D. Short and James R. Jennings, assigned to Imperial Chemical Industries LLC. Issued on August1, 1992
⁵ Science, Vol.113, no.2930, pp.206-207, "Ethanol from Methanol" Irving Wender, R. A. Friedel, Milton Orchin, US Bureau of Mines