Integrated system for extraction of crude alcohol and co-conversion raffinate with olefin

Claim 2

A continuous feedstock separation and etherification reactor system for converting crude methanol feedstock to methyl t-alkyl ether comprising: extractor means for introducing a crude feedstock liquid stream containing a minor about of water and a liquid olefinic hydrocarbon extraction stream under extraction conditions favorable to selective extraction o methanol, thereby providing an extract liquid phase rich in methanol and an aqueous liquid raffinate phase lean in methanol; conduit means for recovering said extract liquid phase and said raffinate phase from said extractor means as separate streams; first catalytic reactor means operatively connected for contacting the extract phase in a catalytic reaction zone with acid etherification catalyst in an etherification reaction zone under process conditions to convert a major portion of methanol to ether; effluent separation means for recovering ether product from unconverted olefinic hydrocarbon and methanol; and second catalytic reactor means operatively connected for contacting said raffinate phase with conversion catalyst in the presence of said unconverted olefinic hydrocarbon and methanol to produce normally liquid hydrocarbon product.

Claim 3

An improved reactor system for reacting crude aqueous methanol feedstock with iso-olefinic hydrocarbons to product C 5 + methyl t-alkyl ethers, which comprises: extractor means for introducing the aqueous methanol feedstock stream and a liquid hydrocarbon extraction solvent stream rich C 4 + isoalkene under liquid extraction conditions, including conduit means for recovering an organic extract phase comprising the hydrocarbon extractant and methanol and conduit means for recovering an aqueous methanol raffinate phase containing the major amount of water introduced with the feedstock and a minor amount of feedstock methanol; primary reactor means for reacting methanol and C 4 + isoalkene from the organic extract phase in contact with etherification catalyst under catalytic reaction conditions to produce ether product; etherification effluent fractionator means for separating ether product from unreacted methanol and C 4 + isoalkene; and secondary reactor means for converting methanol from the aqueous methanol raffinate phase concurrently with unreacted methanol and C 4 + isoalkene from etherificaton effluent fractionation to produce hydrocarbons.

Claim 4

An improved reactor system for reacting crude aqueous methanol feedstock with iso-olefinic hydrocarbons to product C 5 + methyl t-alkyl ethers, which comprises: extractor means for introducing the aqueous methanol feedstock stream and a liquid hydrocarbon extraction solvent stream rich C 4 + isoalkene under liquid extraction conditions, including conduit means for recovering an organic extract phase comprising the hydrocarbon extractant and methanol and conduit means for recovering an aqueous methanol raffinate phase containing the major amount of water introduced with the feedstock and a minor amount of feedstock methanol; primary reactor means for reacting methanol and C 4 + isoalkene from the organic extract phase in contact with etherification catalyst under catalytic reaction conditions to produce ether product; etherification effluent fractionator means for separating ether product from unreacted methanol and C 4 + isoalkene; and secondary reactor means for converting methanol from the aqueous methanol raffinate phase concurrently with unreacted methanol and C 4 + isoalkene from etherificaton effluent fractionation to produce hydrocarbons.

Claim 5

The reactor system of claim 2 wherein etherification catalyst consists essentially of sulfonic acid resin.

Claim 6

A continuous reactor system for converting crude lower alkyl alcohol to lower alkyl t-alkyl ethers comprising the steps of: (a) an extraction unit including conduit means for introducing crude aqueous alcohol liquid feedstock for contact with a liquid hydrocarbon extraction solvent rich in C 4 + iso-alkene hydrocarbon under extraction conditions favorable to selective extraction of the alcohol, including conduit means for withdrawing an extract liquid stream rich in alcohol and an aqueous raffinate stream lean in alcohol; (b) primary etherification reactor means operatively connected to receive the extract liquid stream for charging liquid hydrocarbon extractant and extracted methanol substantially free of water to a first catalytic reaction zone containing acid etherification catalyst for converting alcohol and iso-alkene hydrocarbon to predominantly lower alkyl t-alkyl ether; (c) fractionation means for separating etherification effluent from reactor (b) to recover unreacted alcohol and light olefinic hydrocarbon overhead vapor and to recover liquid product containing ether product; (d) secondary catalytic reactor means for upgrading olefinic overhead vapor from fractionator (c) to provide liquid hydrocarbon product; and (e) means for charging at least a portion of said aqueous raffinate stream from extraction means (a) for conversion of alcohol to hydrocarbons concurrently with olefin upgrading in reactor (d).

Claim 7

A continuous reactor system for converting crude lower alkyl alcohol to lower alkyl t-alkyl ethers comprising the steps of: (a) an extraction unit including conduit means for introducing crude aqueous alcohol liquid feedstock for contact with a liquid hydrocarbon extraction solvent rich in C 4 + iso-alkene hydrocarbon under extraction conditions favorable to selective extraction of the alcohol, including conduit means for withdrawing an extract liquid stream rich in alcohol and an aqueous raffinate stream lean in alcohol; (b) primary etherification reactor means operatively connected to receive the extract liquid stream for charging liquid hydrocarbon extractant and extracted methanol substantially free of water to a first catalytic reaction zone containing acid etherification catalyst for converting alcohol and iso-alkene hydrocarbon to predominantly lower alkyl t-alkyl ether; (c) fractionation means for separating etherification effluent from reactor (b) to recover unreacted alcohol and light olefinic hydrocarbon overhead vapor and to recover liquid product containing ether product; (d) secondary catalytic reactor means for upgrading olefinic overhead vapor from fractionator (c) to provide liquid hydrocarbon product; and (e) means for charging at least a portion of said aqueous raffinate stream from extraction means (a) for conversion of alcohol to hydrocarbons concurrently with olefin upgrading in reactor (d).

Claim 8

The reactor system of claim 4 wherein the acid etherification catalyst comprises ion exchange resin.

Claim 9

The reactor system of claim 4 the secondary reactor means contains acid medium pore zeolite catalyst.