METHOD OF PRODUCING DIMETHYL EHTER FROM METHANOL Russian patent published in 2015 - IPC C07C43/04 C07C41/09 

FIELD: chemistry.

SUBSTANCE: method includes contacting methanol with a dehydrating catalyst in a reaction zone and separating components of the reaction mixture by fractionation while returning unreacted methanol into the reaction zone, wherein dehydration of methanol and formation of ether are carried out in the presence of a catalyst at a high temperature. The catalyst used is zeolite-type molecular sieves with large pores, selected from a group consisting of FAU structure zeolites, which are type-X zeolites or modifications thereof; dehydration is carried out in a gaseous state at temperature in the reaction zone of 280-330°C and pressure of 17-22 atm; in the first fractionation column, a fraction consisting of methanol and dimethyl ether is distilled from water, and in the second fractionation column, dimethyl ether is distilled from unreacted methanol and the methanol is returned to the reaction zone.

EFFECT: method enables to obtain dimethyl ether with high output and purity.

1 dwg, 1 tbl, 4 ex