Patent ID: 7781490

Claim:
A process for producing a mixed alcohol product, said process comprising: a. contacting a feed stream comprising a syngas with a CO 2 -lean mixed alcohol under process conditions sufficient to form a CO 2 -lean syngas and a CO 2 -rich mixed alcohol; b. contacting the CO 2 -lean syngas with an alcohol synthesis catalyst under conditions sufficient to form a liquid comprising a crude mixed alcohol composition and a gas comprising unreacted syngas wherein the CO 2 -rich mixed alcohol and the crude mixed alcohol composition are combined before CO 2 removal; and c. removing CO 2 from the CO 2 -rich mixed alcohol and the crude mixed alcohol composition, to form the mixed alcohol product, which comprises at least about 40 wt % methanol, at least about 3 wt % ethanol, from about 0.25 wt % to about 10 wt % water and no more than about 1 mol % CO 2 .