1579. IPATIEFF, V. N., AND MONROE, G. S. Synthesis of Methanol From CO2 and H2 Over Copper-Alumina Catalysts. Mechanism of Reaction. Jour. Am. Chem. Soc., vol. 67, 1945, pp. 2168-2171; Chem. Abs., vol. 40, 1946, p. 1140.

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Literature Abstracts

1579. IPATIEFF, V. N., AND MONROE, G. S. Synthesis of Methanol From CO₂ and H₂ Over Copper-Alumina Catalysts. Mechanism of Reaction. Jour. Am. Chem. Soc., vol. 67, 1945, pp. 2168-2171; Chem. Abs., vol. 40, 1946, p. 1140.

Synthesis of MeOH from CO₂ and H₂ over Cu-Al₂O₃ catalysts was investigated over a catalyst temperature range of 282°-487° and a pressure range of 117-410 atm. Cu alone and Al₂O₃ alone had no catalytic effect. The most active catalyst had a Cu content of 8-28%, giving conversions of 94% at 410 atm. and catalyst temperature of 285°. Similar experiments with CO and H₂ gave conversions of 39-43%, with as much as 15 and 41% of the CO charge reacting to give CH₄ and dimethyl ether, respectively. When CO₂ was added to the CO (mol. ratio CO:CO₂=3.1:1.0) the MeOH conversion was raised to 64%, and the formation of dimethyl ether was reduced to about 1%. Results obtained with aqueous CH₂O solutions indicate that the formation of MeOH from CO₂ and H₂ under pressure may proceed along 2 paths. After reduction of the CO₂ to the CH₂O stage, part of the MeOH is formed by direct hydrogenation of the CH₂O and part by the Cannizzaro reaction.