Patent ID: 7208647

Claim:
A method for converting natural gas to reactive products, comprising: converting at least a portion of the natural gas to reactive hydrocarbon products, by heating the natural gas in a conversion reactor, comprising a reaction section operated at conversion promoting conditions, such that the reactive hydrocarbon products, comprising acetylene and ethylene, are produced, and further wherein a product stream comprising the reactive hydrocarbon products, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen is formed, quenching the product stream, preparing an acetylene rich stream comprising carbon monoxide from the quenched product stream by intermediate processing, comprising separating at least one effluent stream comprising a non-acetylene component selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, light gases, syngas, ethylene, and combinations thereof, from the quenched product stream, and conveying the acetylene rich stream to a hydrogenation reactor; reacting acetylene and hydrogen in the hydrogenation reactor to form ethylene; and conveying an ethylene rich stream from the hydrogenation reactor to storage of further processing.