Integrated methods and systems are disclosed for the production of dimethyl ether. The method may include reforming natural gas to syngas in a first reactor; contacting the syngas produced in the first reactor with a catalyst system in a second reactor to produce dimethyl ether and carbon dioxide; and supplying steam as a cofeed to at least one of the first reactor and the second reactor in an amount sufficient to achieve a M.sub.m value of 1.4 to 1.8 or to improve the hydrocarbon or oxygenate selectivity.

A process by which the raw material, a gas comprising mainly hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, is introduced into a first reactor together with a catalyst, in which one or more reactions take place that produce methanol or dimethyl ether or both, which are then introduced into a second reactor adding oxygen and a catalyst and producing formaldehyde and a minority of dimethyl ether, and where there may be an excess of water, such water being extracted from the process and the remaining products being introduced into the third reactor with, optionally, an additive, and such raw material is exposed to catalysts and under an atmosphere at medium temperature and pressure, in order to produce three or four groups of chemical reactions that, after extracting most of the water that is generated as a residue during the process, produces as a result a liquid multifunctional product that can be used as a solvent, a foaming agent or an oxygenated fuel; said product, normally a fluid, comprises polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers with molecular formula CH3O(CH2O)nCH3 wherein n has a value between 1 and 7.

A process by which the raw material, a gas comprising mainly hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, is introduced into a first reactor together with a catalyst, in which one or more reactions take place that produce methanol or dimethyl ether or both, which are then introduced into a second reactor adding oxygen and a catalyst and producing formaldehyde and a minority of dimethyl ether, and where there may be an excess of water, such water being extracted from the process and the remaining products being introduced into the third reactor with, optionally, an additive, and such raw material is exposed to catalysts and under an atmosphere at medium temperature and pressure, in order to produce three or four groups of chemical reactions that, after extracting most of the water that is generated as a residue during the process, produces as a result a liquid multifunctional product that can be used as a solvent, a foaming agent or an oxygenated fuel; said product, normally a fluid, comprises polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers with molecular formula CH3O(CH2O)nCH3 wherein n has a value between 1 and 7.

In a process for producing a phosphorus-modified zeolite catalyst, an aqueous reaction mixture comprising a source of silica and a source of an organic directing agent effective to direct the synthesis of a desired zeolite is heated at a temperature and for a time sufficient to produce crystals of the desired zeolite. Wet zeolite crystals can then be separated from the reaction mixture and, without removing all the water from the wet zeolite crystals, the zeolite can be converted into the ammonium form by ion exchange, and the crystals can be treated with a phosphorus compound. The phosphorus-treated, ammonium-exchanged zeolite can then be formed into a catalyst to be heated in one or more stages to remove the water and organic directing agent from the zeolite crystals and to convert the zeolite to the hydrogen form.

In a process for producing a phosphorus-modified zeolite catalyst, an aqueous reaction mixture comprising a source of silica and a source of an organic directing agent effective to direct the synthesis of a desired zeolite is heated at a temperature and for a time sufficient to produce crystals of the desired zeolite. Wet zeolite crystals can then be separated from the reaction mixture and, without removing all the water from the wet zeolite crystals, the zeolite can be converted into the ammonium form by ion exchange, and the crystals can be treated with a phosphorus compound. The phosphorus-treated, ammonium-exchanged zeolite can then be formed into a catalyst to be heated in one or more stages to remove the water and organic directing agent from the zeolite crystals and to convert the zeolite to the hydrogen form.

In a process for producing a phosphorus-modified zeolite catalyst, an aqueous reaction mixture comprising a source of silica and a source of an organic directing agent effective to direct the synthesis of a desired zeolite is heated at a temperature and for a time sufficient to produce crystals of the desired zeolite. Wet zeolite crystals can then be separated from the reaction mixture and, without removing all the water from the wet zeolite crystals, the zeolite can be converted into the ammonium form by ion exchange, and the crystals can be treated with a phosphorus compound. The phosphorus-treated, ammonium-exchanged zeolite can then be formed into a catalyst to be heated in one or more stages to remove the water and organic directing agent from the zeolite crystals and to convert the zeolite to the hydrogen form.

The present disclosure relates to a method that includes converting a gas stream that contains hydrogen (H.sub.2) and carbon monoxide (CO) to a second mixture that contains a hydrocarbon, for example, a hydrocarbon having between 3 and 15 carbon atoms, where the converting is performed using a first catalyst configured to convert H.sub.2 and CO to methanol, a second catalyst configured to convert methanol to dimethyl ether (DME), and a third catalyst configured to convert DME to the hydrocarbon.

The present disclosure relates to a method that includes converting a gas stream that contains hydrogen (H.sub.2) and carbon monoxide (CO) to a second mixture that contains a hydrocarbon, for example, a hydrocarbon having between 3 and 15 carbon atoms, where the converting is performed using a first catalyst configured to convert H.sub.2 and CO to methanol, a second catalyst configured to convert methanol to dimethyl ether (DME), and a third catalyst configured to convert DME to the hydrocarbon.

The present disclosure relates to a method that includes converting a gas stream that contains hydrogen (H.sub.2) and carbon monoxide (CO) to a second mixture that contains a hydrocarbon, for example, a hydrocarbon having between 3 and 15 carbon atoms, where the converting is performed using a first catalyst configured to convert H.sub.2 and CO to methanol, a second catalyst configured to convert methanol to dimethyl ether (DME), and a third catalyst configured to convert DME to the hydrocarbon.

A method for forming a blend of ethers from a blend of alcohols includes a step of reacting a hydrocarbon-containing gas with an oxygen-containing gas to form first product blend. The first product blend includes a blend of partially oxygenated compounds. The blend of partially oxygenated compounds is provided to a reactive distillation station where it is converted a second product blend. The second product blend typically includes a mixture of ethers. An apparatus implementing the method is also provided.