A process is disclosed for catalytically converting light hydrocarbons, such as natural gas, to saturated or unsaturated higher molecular weight hydrocarbons, such as ethylene, propylene, ethyl benzene, and styrene. The process employs gaseous catalyst or a mixture of catalysts selected from hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen halides other then hydrogen fluoride, halogen other than fluorine, sulfur vapor, and/or sulfur containing hydrocarbons.
This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending Ser. No. 07/110,248, filed Oct. 19, 1987, and now U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,786, which is incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof.
A system is provided for disposal of gaseous hydrocarbons produced from an undersea well, which minimizes the gas disposal cost. The system includes a polymerization station (80) mounted on an anchored floating vessel arrangement (12), which converts the gas to a liquid hydrocarbon that is stored and then transported by a shuttle tanker (52) to a refinery. The liquified gas can be mixed with liquid hydrocarbons originally obtained from the undersea well, both in the shuttle tanker and in storage tanks on the anchored vessel arrangement. Sea water can be used to create steam for the polymerization process.
A process for converting gaseous alkanes to liquid hydrocarbons wherein a gaseous feed containing alkanes is reacted with a dry bromine vapor to form alkyl bromides and hydrobromic acid vapor. The mixture of alkyl bromides and hydrobromic acid are then reacted over a synthetic crystalline alumino-silicate catalyst, such as a ZSM-5 zeolite, at a temperature of from about 150.degree. C. to about 400.degree. C. so as to form higher molecular weight hydrocarbons and hydrobromic acid vapor. Hydrobromic acid vapor is removed from the higher molecular weight hydrocarbons. A portion of the propane and butane is removed from the higher molecular weight hydrocarbons and reacted with the mixture of alkyl bromides and hydrobromic acid over the synthetic crystalline alumino-silicate catalyst to form C.sub.5+ hydrocarbons.
A process for converting gaseous alkanes to liquid hydrocarbons wherein a gaseous feed containing alkanes is reacted with a dry bromine vapor to form alkyl bromides and hydrobromic acid vapor. The mixture of alkyl bromides and hydrobromic acid are then reacted over a synthetic crystalline alumino-silicate catalyst, such as a ZSM-5 zeolite, at a temperature of from about 150.degree. C. to about 450.degree. C. so as to form higher molecular weight hydrocarbons and hydrobromic acid vapor. Propane and butane which comprise a portion of the products may be recovered or recycled back through the process to form additional C.sub.5+ hydrocarbons. Various methods are disclosed to remove the hydrobromic acid vapor from the higher molecular weight hydrocarbons and to generate bromine from the hydrobromic acid for use in the process.
An improved continuous process for converting methane, natural gas, or other hydrocarbon feedstocks into one or more higher hydrocarbons or olefins by continuously cycling through the steps of alkane halogenation, product formation (carbon-carbon coupling), product separation, and regeneration of halogen is provided. Preferably, the halogen is continually recovered by reacting hydrobromic acid with air or oxygen. The invention provides an efficient route to aromatic compounds, aliphatic compounds, mixtures of aliphatic and aromatic compounds, olefins, gasoline grade materials, and other useful products.
A process for converting gaseous alkanes to liquid hydrocarbons wherein a gaseous feed containing alkanes is reacted with a dry bromine vapor to form alkyl bromides and hydrobromic acid vapor. The mixture of alkyl bromides and hydrobromic acid are then reacted over a synthetic crystalline alumino-silicate catalyst, such as a ZSM-5 zeolite, at a temperature of from about 150.degree. C. to about 450.degree. C. so as to form higher molecular weight hydrocarbons and hydrobromic acid vapor. Propane and butane which comprise a portion of the products may be recovered or recycled back through the process to form additional C.sub.5+ hydrocarbons. Various methods are disclosed to remove the hydrobromic acid vapor from the higher molecular weight hydrocarbons and to generate bromine from the hydrobromic acid for use in the process.
