Patent ID: 8884074

Claim:
A process for producing dimethyl ether (DME) from methanol (MeOH), the process comprising: charging a feed mixture comprising raw MeOH and a process-internally obtained return flow substantially comprising unconverted MeOH and reaction water to an MeOH column; evaporating, in the MeOH column, the feed mixture so as to form a first distillate substantially comprising vaporous MeOH; supplying the first distillate to a reactor; converting the MeOH to DME by splitting off water in the reactor so as to form a reaction mixture; withdrawing the reaction mixture from the reactor; charging the reaction mixture to a mixture column; separating, in the mixture column, the reaction mixture into a mixture column bottom product substantially comprising water and a second distillate substantially comprising DME and MeOH; separating, in a DME column, the second distillate into a third distillate substantially comprising DME and an uncondensable gas discharged overhead, and a DME column bottom product comprising water-poor MeOH; and at least one of supplying the DME column bottom product to a top of the MeOH column, or mixing the DME column bottom product with a forerun column bottom product.