Re: [Gasification] Re: [Bioenergy] Ethanol

[MMBTUPR at aol.com]

               to  Gasification List          from  Lewis L Smith

As is well known, "natural gas" in a reservoir is not a pure product, but an 
unusuable mixture. A typical sample might contain 83% methane, 6% carbon 
dioxide,  5% ethane, 3% propane and 3% heavy gases, such as butane y butylene. 
Sometimes there will also be ethylene, propylene and liquids vaporized under 
reservoir pressures, such as pentane, natural gasoline and heavier materials. So 
the gas almost always has to be "cleaned up" before it can be put in a pipeline.

I don't know whether any of the following processes are still in commercial 
use, but ethane can be cracked to ethylene, and ethyline can be converted to 
ethanol through direct hydration or via ethanol sulfate. There may be other more 
modern processes in use. I am not up to date on this.

Cordially. End of message.