Process for preparing dimethyl ether and process for preparing a mixture of dimethyl ether and methanol
A process for preparing dimethyl ether or a mixture of dimethyl ether and methanol including passing a raw gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen through a catalyst slurry containing a mixture including (a) a medium oil having as a main component, a branched, saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon having 16 to 50 carbon atoms, 1 to 7 tertiary carbon atoms, 0 quaternary carbon atoms, and 1 to 16 carbon atoms in the branched chains bonded to the tertiary carbon atom; and at least one of the tertiary carbon atoms is bonded to hydrocarbon chains with a chain length having 4 or more of carbon atoms in three directions, (b) a methanol synthesis catalyst; (c) a methanol dehydration catalyst; and (d) a methanol shift catalyst or a methanol dehydration/shift catalyst.
1. A process for preparing dimethyl ether comprising passing a raw gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen through a catalyst slurry containing a mixture comprising (a) a medium oil comprising, as a main component, a branched, saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon having 16 to 50 carbon atoms, 1 to 7 tertiary carbon atoms, 0 quaternary carbon atom, and 1 to 16 carbon atoms in the branched chains bonded to the tertiary carbon atoms; and at least one of the tertiary carbon atoms being bonded to hydrocarbon chains with a chain length having 4 or more of carbon atoms in three directions; (b) a methanol synthesis catalyst; (c) a methanol dehydration catalyst; and (d) a methanol shift catalyst or a methanol dehydration/shift catalyst.
2. A process for preparing a mixture of dimethyl ether and methanol comprising passing a raw gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen through a catalyst slurry containing a mixture comprising (a) a medium oil comprising as a main component, a branched, saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon having 16 to 50 carbon atoms, 1 to 7 tertiary carbon atoms, 0 quaternary carbon atom, and 1 to 16 carbon atoms in the branched chains bonded to the tertiary carbon atoms; and at least one of the tertiary carbon atoms being bonded to hydrocarbon chains with a chain length having 4 or more of carbon atoms in three directions; (b) a methanol synthesis catalyst; (c) a methanol dehydration catalyst; and (d) a methanol shift catalyst or a methanol dehydration/shift catalyst.
3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the branched, saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon has 20 to 40 carbon atoms and 1 to 4 tertiary carbon atoms.
4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the branched, saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon is represented by formula (I):
wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 4 are independently an n- or iso-alkyl group having 4 to 16 carbon atoms, R 3 is an n- or iso-alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, m is an integer of 1 to 7, n is an integer of 0 to 37, and p is an integer of 0 to 12, provided that —(CR 2 H)—, —(CH 2 )— and —(CR 3 H)— are bonded in any order and the total numbers of each unit are m, n and p, respectively.
5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the branched, saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon is an α-olefin polymer.
6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the medium oil has a pour point of −10° C. or lower.
7. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the branched, saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon has 20 to 40 carbon atoms and 1 to 4 tertiary carbon atoms.
8. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the branched, saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon is represented by formula (I):
wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 4 are independently an n- or iso-alkyl group having 4 to 16 carbon atoms, R 3 is an n- or iso-alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, m is an integer of 1 to 7, n is an integer of 0 to 37, and p is an integer of 0 to 12, provided that —(CR 2 H)—, —(CH 2 )— and —(CR 3 H)— are bonded in any order and the total numbers of each unit are m, n and p, respectively.
9. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the branched, saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon is an α-olefin polymer.
10. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the medium oil has a pour point of −10° C. or lower.