METHOD OF PRODUCING DIMETHYL ETHER FROM METHANOL Russian patent published in 2012 - IPC C07C43/04 C07C41/09 

FIELD: chemistry.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to method of producing dimethyl ether (DME) from methanol, consisting of the following stages: initial methanol raw material is supplied to reactor with fluidised bed, where it contacts with catalyst to carry out dehydration reaction in order to obtain dehydrated reaction flow; said dehydrated reaction flow is passed to separator to separate gas from solid particles to obtain catalyst with coal layer and dehydrated reaction product on the output, part of catalyst or entire said catalyst with coal layer is supplied to regenerator to burn coke for catalyst regeneration by continuous or step-by-step method; regenerated catalyst is passed back to reactor, where it contacts with initial methanol raw material to perform reaction, said dehydrated reaction product is supplied to separator, which includes absorption column and column for DME rectification, and, optionally, column of methanol regeneration; product flow, mainly consisting of DME, is accumulated in upper part of DME rectification column; non-condensable gas, caught with DME and/or methanol, is obtained in upper part of DME rectification column; said non-condensable gas is supplied into absorption column to absorb DME and/or methanol which was caught with absorbing liquid, liquid on the bottom of DME rectification column mainly consisting of unreacted methanol and water; liquid on DME rectification column is arbitrarily separated by column of methanol regeneration to obtain methanol in upper part of column of methanol regeneration and discharge water on the bottom of regeneration column, and absorbing liquid, used in absorption column, is liquid on the bottom of DME rectification column and/or discharge water on the bottom of regeneration column.

EFFECT: method makes it possible to make complete use of heat resulting from DME production, reduce content of methanol in non-condensable waste gas.

25 cl, 14 ex, 3 tbl, 4 dwg