A unique design for a mobile system that reforms flare gas or natural gas, using air without steam, to directly produce dimethyl ether (DME), a diesel substitute, is disclosed. The system first reforms the air-methane mixture at ambient atmospheric pressures, and then compresses the resulting CO-hydrogen-nitrogen gas mixture to up to 600 psi, and feeds it through a combined reactor which reacts the gas mixture directly into dimethyl ether. The nitrogen is returned by the system back to the atmosphere. DME is an excellent diesel fuel, and can be used to displace significantly costlier and dirtier petroleum-based diesel fuel, while solving a critical problem with flaring. For example, the over 120 billion cubic feet per year that is currently flared in North Dakota could be converted into over 3 million tons of DME.

A unique design for a mobile system that reforms flare gas or natural gas, using air without steam, to directly produce dimethyl ether (DME), a diesel substitute, is disclosed. The system first reforms the air-methane mixture at ambient atmospheric pressures, and then compresses the resulting CO-hydrogen-nitrogen gas mixture to up to 600 psi, and feeds it through a combined reactor which reacts the gas mixture directly into dimethyl ether. The nitrogen is returned by the system back to the atmosphere. DME is an excellent diesel fuel, and can be used to displace significantly costlier and dirtier petroleum-based diesel fuel, while solving a critical problem with flaring. For example, the over 120 billion cubic feet per year that is currently flared in North Dakota could be converted into over 3 million tons of DME.

A unique design for a mobile system that reforms flare gas or natural gas, using air without steam, to directly produce dimethyl ether (DME), a diesel substitute, is disclosed. The system first reforms the air-methane mixture at ambient atmospheric pressures, and then compresses the resulting CO-hydrogen-nitrogen gas mixture to up to 600 psi, and feeds it through a combined reactor which reacts the gas mixture directly into dimethyl ether. The nitrogen is returned by the system back to the atmosphere. DME is an excellent diesel fuel, and can be used to displace significantly costlier and dirtier petroleum-based diesel fuel, while solving a critical problem with flaring. For example, the over 120 billion cubic feet per year that is currently flared in North Dakota could be converted into over 3 million tons of DME.

Process for the preparation of dimethyl ether product by catalytic conversion of synthesis gas to dimethyl ether comprising the steps of contacting a stream of synthesis gas comprising carbon dioxide in a dimethyl ether synthesis step in one or more reactors and with one or more catalysts active in the formation of methanol and dehydration of methanol to dimethyl ether and forming a product mixture comprising dimethyl ether, carbon dioxide and unconverted synthesis gas; cooling and separating the product mixture into a first liquid phase comprising dimethyl ether and carbon dioxide being dissolved in the formed dimethyl ether, and into a first gaseous phase comprising unconverted synthesis gas containing carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide; passing the first liquid phase to a scrubbing zone and contacting the phase with a liquid sorbent being effective in absorption of carbon dioxide; and withdrawing a dimethyl ether product being depleted in carbon dioxide from the scrubbing zone.

Process for the preparation of dimethyl ether product by catalytic conversion of synthesis gas to dimethyl ether comprising the steps of contacting a stream of synthesis gas comprising carbon dioxide in a dimethyl ether synthesis step in one or more reactors and with one or more catalysts active in the formation of methanol and dehydration of methanol to dimethyl ether and forming a product mixture comprising dimethyl ether, carbon dioxide and unconverted synthesis gas; cooling and separating the product mixture into a first liquid phase comprising dimethyl ether and carbon dioxide being dissolved in the formed dimethyl ether, and into a first gaseous phase comprising unconverted synthesis gas containing carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide; passing the first liquid phase to a scrubbing zone and contacting the phase with a liquid sorbent being effective in absorption of carbon dioxide; and withdrawing a dimethyl ether product being depleted in carbon dioxide from the scrubbing zone.

This disclosure relates to the discovery that improved flavors and fragrances can be manufactured during a rapid heating and cooling process that performs simultaneous thermal decomposition of a reactant and distillation of the thermal decomposition product. Various aspects of this disclosure relate to the discovery that the rate of thermal decomposition and distillation can be varied to produce a range of flavor and fragrance molecules in formats compatible with direct addition to consumer products.

This disclosure relates to the discovery that improved flavors and fragrances can be manufactured during a rapid heating and cooling process that performs simultaneous thermal decomposition of a reactant and distillation of the thermal decomposition product. Various aspects of this disclosure relate to the discovery that the rate of thermal decomposition and distillation can be varied to produce a range of flavor and fragrance molecules in formats compatible with direct addition to consumer products.

The present invention relates to a process for producing dimethyl ether (DME) and hydrogen (H.sub.2) from methane, comprising the steps of: a) providing a gaseous feed stream comprising methane; b) reacting said gaseous feed stream with at least one halogen reactant (X.sub.2), under reaction conditions effective to produce an effluent stream comprising methyl halide (MeX), and hydrogen halide (HX); c) separating from the effluent stream obtained in step b): (i) a methyl halide (MeX) stream; and, (ii) a hydrogen halide (HX) stream; d) reacting the methyl halide (MeX) stream separated in step c) with a solid metal oxide (MO.sub.(s)) under reaction conditions effective to produce metal halide (MX) and dimethyl ether (DME); and e) decomposing by means of electrolysis said hydrogen halide (HX) stream separated in step c) under conditions effective to produce a gaseous hydrogen (H.sub.2) stream and a stream comprising halogen reactant (X.sub.2).

The present invention relates to a process for producing dimethyl ether (DME) and hydrogen (H.sub.2) from methane, comprising the steps of: a) providing a gaseous feed stream comprising methane; b) reacting said gaseous feed stream with at least one halogen reactant (X.sub.2), under reaction conditions effective to produce an effluent stream comprising methyl halide (MeX), and hydrogen halide (HX); c) separating from the effluent stream obtained in step b): (i) a methyl halide (MeX) stream; and, (ii) a hydrogen halide (HX) stream; d) reacting the methyl halide (MeX) stream separated in step c) with a solid metal oxide (MO.sub.(s)) under reaction conditions effective to produce metal halide (MX) and dimethyl ether (DME); and e) decomposing by means of electrolysis said hydrogen halide (HX) stream separated in step c) under conditions effective to produce a gaseous hydrogen (H.sub.2) stream and a stream comprising halogen reactant (X.sub.2).

The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of 2-isopentyl-2- isopropyl-1,3-dimethoxypropane, said process comprising the steps of: i) contacting iso-valeraldehyde with an aqueous solution of a hydroxide base selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide (NaOH), potassium hydroxide (KOH) or a combination thereof, said solution having an amount of said hydroxide base of at least 20% w/v, and (m) ethanol; form (2Z)-2-isopropyl-5-methyl-2-hexenal; step ii) contacting (2Z)-2-iso-propyl-5-methyl-2-hexenal with a reducing system to form 2-isopropyl-5-methylhexanal; step iii) contacting 2-isopropyl-5-methylhexanal with formaldehyde and an inorganic base to form 2-isopentyl-2-isopropylpropane-1,3-diol; and step iv) contacting 2-isopentyl-2-isopropylpropane-1,3-diol with a methylation agent and a base to form 2-isopentyl-2-isopropyl-1,3-dimethoxypropane.