TITLE: Synthesis gas to alcohols: Why stop at methanol.

AUTHOR: D. Mahajan;   R. S. Spaienza.

INST.  AUTHOR: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY.

SPONSOR: Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

LANGUAGE: English

PUB.  TYPE: Technical Report

PUB.  COUNTRY: United States

SOURCE: Department of Energy [DE],  Jul 90,  21p.

NTIS ORDER NO.: DE91016998INW

NOTES: 1990 summer national meeting of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), San Diego, CA (United States), 19-22 Aug 1990.  Sponsored by Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

ABSTRACT:

The ''Catalysis by Design'' concept for affecting indirect conversion of natural gas to C(sub 1) and higher oxygenates has been under development at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). A successful application of this concept utilized thermodynamically favorable reaction parameters to design a series of catalysts which synthesize methanol in liquid phase with >95% selectivity at <150(degree)C and >90% conversion per pass with balanced gas. Methanol productivity of up to 200 G-mol MeOH/Kg.Cat.Hr has been achieved in batch-mode with these proprietary catalysts. Coupled with the fact that the new catalyst is effective at low pressures, in inert to N(sub 2) and CH(sub 4), and requires no recycle, partial oxidation of natural gas for syngas manufacture is envisioned, making the overall process of methanol synthesis from natural gas economically attractive.  Efforts are also being directed toward designing catalysts for selective one-step transformations of syngas to C(sub 2) or higher oxygenates: Synthesis of methyl formate, an ester, is a case in point. This C(sub 2) product which utilizes CO and H(sub 2) in a 1:1 ratio may find application in Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plants as a desirable liquid fuel for peak shaving. 8 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs.

REPORT  NUMBER: BNL-46484;   CONF-900828-12

CONTRACT  NUMBER: AC02-76CH00016