Patent ID: 8168685

Claim:
A process for the production of methanol comprising the following steps: (a) providing a source of syngas, wherein the syngas has a first composition parameter R 1 , and wherein R 1 >2; (b) providing a membrane having a feed side and a permeate side, where the membrane exhibits a selectivity to hydrogen over carbon dioxide of at least about 5, and a selectivity to hydrogen over carbon monoxide of at least about 20; (c) passing syngas across the feed side; (d) withdrawing from the permeate side a hydrogen-rich permeate stream, wherein the permeate stream has a second composition parameter R 2 , and wherein R 2 >R 1 ; (e) withdrawing from the feed side a hydrogen-depleted residue stream; (f) compressing the residue stream; and (g) passing the compressed residue stream to a methanol synthesis loop.