TITLE: Heterogeneous catalytic process for alcohol fuels from syngas.  Final technical report.

AUTHOR: B. D. Dombek.

INST.  AUTHOR: Union Carbide Chemicals and Plastics Co., Inc., South Charleston, WV. Technical Center.

SPONSOR: Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

LANGUAGE: English

PUB.  TYPE: Technical Report

PUB.  COUNTRY: United States

SOURCE: Department of Energy [DE],  Mar 96,  175p.

NTIS ORDER NO.: DE96050287INW

ABSTRACT:

The primary objective of this project has been the pursuit of a catalyst system which would allow the selective production from syngas of methanol and isobutanol. It is desirable to develop a process in which the methanol to isobutanol weight ratio could be varied from 70/30 to 30/70. The 70/30 mixture could be used directly as a fuel additive, while, with the appropriate downstream processing, the 30/70 mixture could be utilized for methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) synthesis. The indirect manufacture of  MTBE from a coal derived syngas to methanol and isobutanol process would appear to be a viable solution to MTBE feedstock limitations. To become economically attractive, a process fro producing oxygenates from coal-derived syngas must form these products with high selectivity and good rates, and must be capable of operating with a low-hydrogen-content syngas. This was to be accomplished through extensions of known catalyst systems and by the rational design of novel catalyst systems.

REPORT  NUMBER: DOE/PC/90046-T18

CONTRACT  NUMBER: AC22-91PC90046