Hydrocarbon conversion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9682900-B2
Application number	US-201414543405-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2014
Priority date	Dec 6, 2013
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

This disclosure relates to the conversion of methane to higher molecular weight (C 5+ ) hydrocarbon, including aromatic hydrocarbon, to materials and equipment useful in such conversion, and to the use of such conversion for, e.g., natural gas upgrading.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for producing C 5+ hydrocarbon, the process comprising:
(a) providing a feed comprising a C 1+ inorganic oxygenate and ≧9 mole % of methane, per mole of feed, wherein a molar ratio of methane to C 1+ inorganic oxygenate is in a range of 0.6:1 to 20:1, and wherein the C 1+ inorganic oxygenate comprises aldehyde;
(b) contacting the feed with a catalyst comprising at least one molecular sieve and at least one dehydrogenation component under conditions, including a temperature less than 700° C., effective to convert at least a portion of the methane and at least a portion of the aldehyde in the feed to a product comprising at least 5 wt. % of C 5+ hydrocarbons based on the weight of the product, wherein the C 5+ hydrocarbons comprise C 6 to C 10 aromatics; and
(c) separating at least part of the C 5+ hydrocarbons from the product.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio of methane to C 1+ inorganic oxygenate in the feed is in the range of from 5:1 to 15:1.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the C 1+ inorganic oxygenate further comprises CO added to the feed as syngas, and wherein the syngas has a molecular hydrogen to CO molar ratio ≦4.

4. The process of claim 3 , wherein at least a portion of the syngas is produced by partial oxidation of methane.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the temperature is less than 600° C., and the feed further comprises C 2+ aliphatic hydrocarbons and/or molecular hydrogen, and wherein the C 2+ aliphatic hydrocarbons comprise one or more C 2 to C 5 alkanes.

6. The process of claim 5 , wherein the feed further comprises C 1+ organic oxygenates, and wherein the C 1+ organic oxygenates comprise C 1 to C 4 organic oxygenates.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the feed comprises ≧25 mole % of methane.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein (i) the molecular sieve comprises an aluminosilicate and/or a gallosilicate, and wherein the molecular sieve has an average pore size of 5.4 Å to 7 Å, and (ii) the dehydrogenation component comprises a metal or compound thereof from Groups 3 to 13 of the Periodic Table.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the temperature of step (b) is ≦300° C., and the contacting conditions of step (b) further comprises a pressure in the range of from 1.2 bar (absolute) to 4 bar (absolute) and/or a feed gas hourly space velocity of ≧100 cm 3 /h/g of catalyst.

10. The process of claim 1 , wherein (i) the product comprises, ≦10.0 wt. % C 2 to C 4 hydrocarbons, based on the weight of the product, (ii) methane conversion is ≧5.0 wt. %, based on the weight of methane in the feed, and (iii) the C 5+ hydrocarbons comprise ≧90.0 wt. % of C 6 to C 10 aromatics, based on the weight of the C 5+ hydrocarbons.

Assignees

• Exxonmobil Chemical Patents Inc

Inventors

• Keusenkothen Paul F
• Henao Juan D
• Patil Abhimanyu O
• Cao Guang

Classifications

• C07C2529/40

  of the pentasil type, e.g. types ZSM-5, ZSM-8 or ZSM-11 · CPC title

• C07C15/00

  Cyclic hydrocarbons containing only six-membered aromatic rings as cyclic parts · CPC title

• C07C2529/48

  containing arsenic, antimony, bismuth, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, polonium, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, manganese, technetium or rhenium · CPC title

• C07C2529/46

  Iron group metals or copper · CPC title

• C07C2529/44

  Noble metals · CPC title