Abstract: Aromatic hydrocarbons are produced from a feedstock comprising ethane and/or propane and/or butane by the steps of:(A) reacting the feedstock in the presence of a dehydrocyclodimerization catalyst to produce a product comprising aromatic hydrocarbons, hydrogen and methane,(B) separating the product of step (A) into an aromatic hydrocarbon fraction, a methane-rich gaseous fraction and a hydrogen-rich gaseous fraction,(C) feeding all or part of the methane-rich gaseous fraction separated in step (B) to a synthesis gas production unit, thereby to produce synthesis gas, and(D) contacting the synthesis gas from step (C) together with all or part of the hydrogen-rich gaseous fraction separated in step (B), thereby increasing the hydrogen to carbon monoxide ratio of the synthesis gas, with a Fischer-Tropsch conversion catalyst to produce a hydrocarbon product.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for purifying crude ethanol, whether produced by fermentation or by the synthetic route, to produce a pure ethanol-water azeotrope. The process uses only two distillation columns for fermentation ethanol or synthetic ethanol eventhough the latter has diethyl ether as impurity. The inventive concept lies in the design and specification of the columns and the specific high pressure and low reflux ratio distillation conditions which enable each of the impurities in ethanol to be reduced below ppm. Ethanol of such purity is most desirable when used for potable or pharmaceutical purposes.