This paper presents
a process design for catalytic nonoxidative
natural gas conversion to olefins and aromatics, highlighting the
opportunities and challenges concerning industrial implementation.
The optimal reactor conditions are 5 bar and 1000 °C. Heat exchange
over the reactor is challenging due to the high temperature and low
gas pressure. Recovery of ethylene is economically unattractive due
to the low ethylene concentration in the product stream, leading to
a methane-to-aromatics process, recycling ethylene. Benzene is the
most valuable product at an efficiency of 0.31 kgbenzene/kgmethane with hydrogen as a major valuable byproduct.
Naphthalene, with a low value, is unfortunately the dominant product,
at 0.52 kgnaphthalene/kgmethane. It is suggested
to hydrocrack the naphthalene to more valuable BTX products in an
additional downstream process. The process is calculated to result
in a 107 $ profit per ton CH4.
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