Patent ID: 7456327

Claim:
A method for manufacturing at least one alkyl oxygenate through partial oxidation reacting of alkane from an alkane-containing gas feed stream and of oxygen from an oxygen-containing gas feed stream, said method comprising: providing a reactor system having an injectively-mixed backmixing reaction chamber in fluid communication with a tubular-flow reactor; feeding said alkane-containing feed stream and said oxygen-containing feed stream to said injectively-mixed backmixing reaction chamber; inducing alkyl free radical formation in said injectively-mixed backmixing reaction chamber to yield an injectively-mixed backmixing reaction chamber product stream comprising oxygen, said alkane, and at least a portion of said alkyl free radicals; feeding said injectively-mixed backmixing reaction chamber product stream to a tubular-flow reactor; and reacting said injectively-mixed backmixing reaction chamber product stream into said alkyl oxygenate in said tubular-flow reactor; wherein said alkane is selected from the group consisting of methane, ethane, propane, and butane.