Make ethanol via syngas

As lead is rapidly removed from gasoline, so the need for alternate octane enhancers increases. The ENSOL process, developed in collaboration between Humphreys and Glasgow Ltd., Monsanto and BASF, is one practical way in which this need can be readily met. Ethanol is a proven gasoline extender and octane improver, and the ENSOL process enables ethanol to be produced at a very attractive price (65-90 cents/U.S. gallon) using natural gas as a feedstock. The basic arrangement of an ENSOL ethanol plant is given, from which it may be seen that the flowsheet divides conveniently into two parts: the methanol production unit and the main ethanol units. The methanol unit has the usual sections except that there is no need to produce AA grade and hence no need for the second distillation column, which is normally employed to remove ethanol from methanol. The small amount of ethanol usually co-produced with methanol may be left in, and is converted ultimately to propanol.