A demethanizer employing C3, C4 and C4+ hydrocarbons as absorbents can be employed in a methanol to olefin process to reduce both operating and capital costs in comparison to a convention process which employs only cryogenic distillation to remove methane and other low boilers from a light olefin process stream. By reducing the use of propane, the size and operating costs of the C3 splitter can be reduced thereby providing an economic advantage over conventional applications.

The invention relates to a process for preparing butadiene from n-butenes, comprising the steps of: A) providing an input gas stream a comprising n-butenes, B) feeding the input gas stream a comprising n-butenes and a gas containing at least oxygen into at least one oxidative dehydrogenation zone and oxidatively dehydrogenating n-butenes to butadiene, giving a product gas stream b comprising butadiene, unconverted n-butenes, water vapor, oxygen, low-boiling hydrocarbons and high-boiling secondary components, with or without carbon oxides and with or without inert gases; Ca) cooling the product gas stream b by contacting with a cooling medium in at least one cooling zone, the cooling medium being at least partly recycled and having an aqueous phase and an organic phase of an organic solvent, wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of toluene, o-, m- and p-xylene, mesitylene, mono-, di- and triethylbenzene, mono-, di- and triisopropylbenzene and mixtures thereof, and the mass ratio of the aqueous phase to the organic phase in the cooling medium when it is fed into the cooling zones prior to the contacting with the product gas stream being from 0.015:1 to 10:1, Cb) compressing the cooled product gas stream b which may have been depleted of high-boiling secondary components in at least one compression stage, giving at least one aqueous condensate stream c1 and one gas stream c2 comprising butadiene, n-butenes, water vapor, oxygen and low-boiling hydrocarbons, with or without carbon oxides and with or without inert gases; D) removing uncondensable and low-boiling gas constituents comprising oxygen and low-boiling hydrocarbons, with or without carbon oxides and with or without inert gases, as gas stream d2 from the gas stream c2 by absorbing the C.sub.4 hydrocarbons comprising butadiene and n-butenes in an absorbent, giving an absorbent stream laden with C.sub.4 hydrocarbons and the gas stream d2, and then desorbing the C.sub.4 hydrocarbons from the laden absorbent stream, giving a C.sub.4 product gas stream d1, E) separating the C.sub.4 product stream d1 by extractive distillation with a butadiene-selective solvent into a stream e1 comprising butadiene and the selective solvent and a stream e2 comprising n-butenes; F) distilling the stream e1 comprising butadiene and the selective solvent into a stream f1 consisting essentially of the selective solvent and a stream f2 comprising butadiene.

The invention relates to a process for preparing butadiene from n-butenes, comprising the steps of: A) providing an input gas stream a comprising n-butenes, B) feeding the input gas stream a comprising n-butenes and a gas containing at least oxygen into at least one oxidative dehydrogenation zone and oxidatively dehydrogenating n-butenes to butadiene, giving a product gas stream b comprising butadiene, unconverted n-butenes, water vapor, oxygen, low-boiling hydrocarbons and high-boiling secondary components, with or without carbon oxides and with or without inert gases; Ca) cooling the product gas stream b by contacting with a cooling medium in at least one cooling zone, the cooling medium being at least partly recycled and having an aqueous phase and an organic phase of an organic solvent, wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of toluene, o-, m- and p-xylene, mesitylene, mono-, di- and triethylbenzene, mono-, di- and triisopropylbenzene and mixtures thereof, and the mass ratio of the aqueous phase to the organic phase in the cooling medium when it is fed into the cooling zones prior to the contacting with the product gas stream being from 0.015:1 to 10:1, Cb) compressing the cooled product gas stream b which may have been depleted of high-boiling secondary components in at least one compression stage, giving at least one aqueous condensate stream c1 and one gas stream c2 comprising butadiene, n-butenes, water vapor, oxygen and low-boiling hydrocarbons, with or without carbon oxides and with or without inert gases; D) removing uncondensable and low-boiling gas constituents comprising oxygen and low-boiling hydrocarbons, with or without carbon oxides and with or without inert gases, as gas stream d2 from the gas stream c2 by absorbing the C.sub.4 hydrocarbons comprising butadiene and n-butenes in an absorbent, giving an absorbent stream laden with C.sub.4 hydrocarbons and the gas stream d2, and then desorbing the C.sub.4 hydrocarbons from the laden absorbent stream, giving a C.sub.4 product gas stream d1, E) separating the C.sub.4 product stream d1 by extractive distillation with a butadiene-selective solvent into a stream e1 comprising butadiene and the selective solvent and a stream e2 comprising n-butenes; F) distilling the stream e1 comprising butadiene and the selective solvent into a stream f1 consisting essentially of the selective solvent and a stream f2 comprising butadiene.

A process can be used to prepare alkenes by catalytic conversion of synthesis gas to a first mixture comprising alkenes and alcohols. The alcohols present in the first mixture are converted to the corresponding alkenes by dehydration in a subsequent step. At least one alkene having two to four carbon atoms is obtained as isolated product from a product mixture by processing thereof and/or separation steps. In the catalytic conversion, a catalyst is preferably used that comprises grains of non-graphitic carbon having cobalt nanoparticles dispersed therein. The cobalt nanoparticles have an average diameter d.sub.p of 1-20 nm. An average distance D between individual cobalt nanoparticles in the grains is 2-150 nm. A combined total mass fraction ω of metal in the grains is from 30%-70% by weight of a total mass of the grains such that 4.5 dp/ω>D≥0.25 dp/ω.

A process can be used to prepare alkenes by catalytic conversion of synthesis gas to a first mixture comprising alkenes and alcohols. The alcohols present in the first mixture are converted to the corresponding alkenes by dehydration in a subsequent step. At least one alkene having two to four carbon atoms is obtained as isolated product from a product mixture by processing thereof and/or separation steps. In the catalytic conversion, a catalyst is preferably used that comprises grains of non-graphitic carbon having cobalt nanoparticles dispersed therein. The cobalt nanoparticles have an average diameter d.sub.p of 1-20 nm. An average distance D between individual cobalt nanoparticles in the grains is 2-150 nm. A combined total mass fraction ω of metal in the grains is from 30%-70% by weight of a total mass of the grains such that 4.5 dp/ω>D≥0.25 dp/ω.

Disclosed are systems and methods which provide a process stream comprising a gaseous component, capture the gaseous component from the process stream by an ionic liquid solvent of a separator, and recover a captured gaseous component from the ionic liquid solvent in a regenerator. A second gaseous component from the process stream may be captured by the ionic liquid solvent of the separator, and the second gaseous component may be recovered from the ionic liquid solvent in the regenerator. Alternatively, the second gaseous component from the process stream may be uncaptured by the ionic liquid solvent, and the uncaptured second gaseous component may be recovered from a membrane unit.

Disclosed are systems and methods which provide a process stream comprising a gaseous component, capture the gaseous component from the process stream by an ionic liquid solvent of a separator, and recover a captured gaseous component from the ionic liquid solvent in a regenerator. A second gaseous component from the process stream may be captured by the ionic liquid solvent of the separator, and the second gaseous component may be recovered from the ionic liquid solvent in the regenerator. Alternatively, the second gaseous component from the process stream may be uncaptured by the ionic liquid solvent, and the uncaptured second gaseous component may be recovered from a membrane unit.

Disclosed are systems and methods which provide a process stream comprising a gaseous component, capture the gaseous component from the process stream by an ionic liquid solvent of a separator, and recover a captured gaseous component from the ionic liquid solvent in a regenerator. A second gaseous component from the process stream may be captured by the ionic liquid solvent of the separator, and the second gaseous component may be recovered from the ionic liquid solvent in the regenerator. Alternatively, the second gaseous component from the process stream may be uncaptured by the ionic liquid solvent, and the uncaptured second gaseous component may be recovered from a membrane unit.

A method for producing hydrocarbons is proposed, in which a product stream containing hydrocarbons is produced from a methane-rich feed stream and from an oxygen-rich feed stream in a reaction unit which is configured for implementing a method for oxidative coupling of methane, the product stream or at least a stream formed therefrom being treated cryogenically in at least one separation unit using at least one liquid, methane-rich stream. It is provided that in the at least one separation unit (10) a recycle stream is formed from methane contained in product stream (c) and from methane contained in the at least one liquid, methane-rich stream (e, v), the recycle stream being fed to the reaction unit (1) as the methane-rich feed stream (a), and in that the liquid, methane-rich stream (e, v) is provided as makeup.

A method for producing hydrocarbons is proposed, in which a product stream containing hydrocarbons is produced from a methane-rich feed stream and from an oxygen-rich feed stream in a reaction unit which is configured for implementing a method for oxidative coupling of methane, the product stream or at least a stream formed therefrom being treated cryogenically in at least one separation unit using at least one liquid, methane-rich stream. It is provided that in the at least one separation unit (10) a recycle stream is formed from methane contained in product stream (c) and from methane contained in the at least one liquid, methane-rich stream (e, v), the recycle stream being fed to the reaction unit (1) as the methane-rich feed stream (a), and in that the liquid, methane-rich stream (e, v) is provided as makeup.