	US 11,673,851 B2
	Process for dehydrating methanol to dimethyl ether product
Benjamin James Dennis-Smither, Hull (GB); Neil Sainty, Hull (GB); and John Glenn Sunley, Hull (GB)
Assigned to BP p.l.c., London (GB); and BP (China) Holdings Ltd, Shanghai (CN)
Appl. No. 16/641,637
Filed by BP P.L.C., London (GB); and BP (CHINA) HOLDINGS LTD, Shanghai (CN)
PCT Filed Aug. 24, 2018, PCT No. PCT/CN2018/102137 § 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 24, 2020, PCT Pub. No. WO2019/037768, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 28, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. PCT/CN2017/098885 (WO), filed on Aug. 24, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0190005 A1, Jun. 18, 2020
Int. Cl. C07C 41/09 (2006.01); B01J 29/10 (2006.01); B01J 29/18 (2006.01); B01J 29/70 (2006.01); B01J 35/02 (2006.01); C07C 43/04 (2006.01)

CPC C07C 41/09 (2013.01) [B01J 29/106 (2013.01); B01J 29/18 (2013.01); B01J 29/7007 (2013.01); B01J 29/7015 (2013.01); B01J 35/023 (2013.01); C07C 43/043 (2013.01)]

20 Claims

1. A process comprising dehydrating methanol to dimethyl ether product in the presence of a catalyst and a promoter, wherein the catalyst is at least one solid Brønsted acid catalyst selected from aluminosilicate zeolites that have a maximum free sphere diameter of greater than 3.67 Angstroms and heteropolyacids, and the promoter is selected from methyl formate, dimethyl oxalate and dimethyl malonate, wherein the molar ratio of promoter to methanol is maintained in the range 0.005:1 to 0.5:1, and wherein the total amount of promoter relative to methanol is maintained in an amount of at least 2 mol %.