TITLE: Synthesis of methanol by a novel method.

AUTHOR: V. Palekar;   J. W. Tierney;   I. Wender.

INST.  AUTHOR: Pittsburgh Univ., PA. Dept. of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering.

SPONSOR: Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

LANGUAGE: English

PUB.  TYPE: Technical Report

PUB.  COUNTRY: United States

SOURCE: Department of Energy [DE],  14 Sep 90,  39p.

NTIS ORDER NO.: DE91011131INW

NOTES: American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) fall annual meeting, Chicago, IL (USA), 11-16 Nov 1990. Sponsored by Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

ABSTRACT:

A new method for synthesizing methanol from CO and H(sub 2) in a slurry reactor is described and some recent experimental results are presented.  At the temperatures and pressures used (100-160(degree)C, 50 atm) the methanol product remains in the liquid phase and constitutes the bulk of the liquid phase. Small amounts of other products (less than 6% total) are also present. Methanol is both a reactant and a product. The reaction is believed to proceed in two steps. In the first, methanol is carbonylated to methyl formate, and then the methyl formate is hydrogenated to methanol. A homogeneous catalyst such as potassium methoxide is used for the carbonylation reaction and a heterogeneous catalyst such as copper chromite is used for the hydrogenation reaction. Rates for the concurrent reaction (both reactions taking place in the same reactor) are greater than predicted from studies of the individual reactions. The improved performance can be explained by an interaction between the two catalysts in the surface layer adjacent to the heterogeneous catalyst. 9 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.

REPORT  NUMBER: CONF-901155-7

CONTRACT  NUMBER: FG22-89PC89786