Patent ID: 8921433

Claim:
Process for the conversion of carbon oxide(s) and hydrogen containing feedstocks into alcohols in the presence of a particulate catalyst comprising the following steps: (a) converting a carbon oxide(s) and hydrogen feed having a (H2-CO2):(CO+CO2) molar ratio comprised between 0.5 and 2.0, in the presence of a particulate catalyst in a homologation reactor under a temperature comprised between 150 and 400° C. and a pressure of 50 to 250 bar, into a stream A, comprising essentially alcohol(s), ester(s), H2, CO and CO2, (b) separating the alcohol stream A, into a stream B comprising H2, CO and CO2 and a stream C comprising the alcohol(s) and ester(s), (c) optionally separating the stream B into a H2 and CO2 depleted stream D′ having a (H2-CO2):(CO+CO2) molar ratio of lower than 0.5 and a H2 and CO2 enriched stream D having a (H2-CO2):(CO+CO2) molar ratio higher than 3, (d) converting a CO/CO2/H2 feed (optionally comprising stream D) having a (H2-CO2):(CO+CO2) molar ratio higher than 3 in a methanol reactor into a stream E comprising essentially methanol, water, H2, CO and CO2, (e) separating stream E into stream F comprising H2, CO and CO2 and stream G comprising methanol and water, (f) separating stream G into stream H consisting essentially of water and stream I comprising essentially methanol, (g) reintroducing stream I into the homologation reactor of step (a), and (h) recovering a stream C comprising an increased weight content of total ethanol and propanol(s).