PURPOSE: To provide the titled apparatus capable of improving the yield of methanol, by constructing a reactor with at least two catalyst layers, supplying unreacted reflux gas to the former catalyst layer and supplying replenishing raw material gas to the latter catalyst layer.
CONSTITUTION: The reactor to synthesize methanol by reacting compressed gaseous mixture of H2, CO and CO2 is composed of multi-stage catalyst layers including the former catalyst layer A and the latter catalyst layer B. The residual unreacted gas left after the recovery of liquid methanol from the effluent of the reactor and discharged from the vapor-liquid separator is pressurized, introduced into the catalyst layer A, supplied to the catalyst layer B after temperature control and subjected to the catalytic reaction in the catalyst layer B with the newly introduced replenishing gas containing H2, CO and CO2. The conversion of CO2 in a reflux gas having extremely low CO partial pressure is promoted in the catalyst layer B, and the increase of CO2 concentration in the reflux gas can be avoided. The control of the rate of reaction is because the reaction gas in the catalyst layer B contains methanol.
MAKIHARA HIROSHI
SHOZEN DAISAKU
ARAHATA KICHIYOSHI
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