A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING HYDROGEN-LEAN SYNGAS FOR ACETIC ACID SYNTHESIS AND DIMETHYL ETHER SYNTHESIS

摘要

A process for producing acetic acid comprising: (a) reacting, via a catalytic partial oxidation (CPO) reaction, a CPO reactant mixture in a CPO reactor to produce a hydrogen-lean syngas; wherein the hydrocarbons comprise equal to or greater than about 3 mol% C2+ alkanes; wherein the hydrogen-lean syngas comprises hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and unreacted hydrocarbons; and wherein the hydrogen-lean syngas is characterized by a hydrogen to carbon monoxide (H2/CO) molar ratio of from about 0.7 to about 1.3; (b) feeding at least a portion of the hydrogen-lean syngas and dimethyl ether (DME) to a DME carbonylation unit to produce methyl acetate and a hydrogen-enriched syngas characterized by a H2/CO molar ratio of from about 1.8 to about 2.2; and (c) feeding at least a portion of the methyl acetate and water to a methyl acetate hydrolysis reaction zone to produce acetic acid and a methanol stream.