Patent ID: 7470811

Claim:
A method for manufacturing methanol and acetic acid, characterized by the integrated steps of: separating a hydrocarbon source into first and second hydrocarbon streams; steam reforming the first hydrocarbon stream with steam to produce a reformed stream; autothermal reforming of a mixture of the reformed stream and the second hydrocarbon stream with oxygen and carbon dioxide to produce a syngas stream; separating a minor portion of the syngas stream into a carbon dioxide-rich stream, a hydrogen-rich stream, and a carbon monoxide-rich stream; recycling the carbon dioxide-rich stream to the autothermal reforming; compressing a remaining portion of the syngas stream, at least a portion of the hydrogen-rich stream to supply a makeup stream to a methanol synthesis loop to obtain a methanol product; and synthesizing acetic acid from at least a portion of the methanol product and the carbon monoxide-rich stream.