TITLE: Novel approaches to the production of higher alcohols from synthesis gas. Quarterly technical progress report No. 16, July 1, 1994--September 30, 1994.

AUTHOR: G. W. Roberts.

INST.  AUTHOR: North Carolina State Univ. at Raleigh. Dept. of Chemical Engineering.

SPONSOR: Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

LANGUAGE: English

PUB.  TYPE: Technical Report

PUB.  COUNTRY: United States

SOURCE: Department of Energy [DE],  1 Mar 96,  13p.

NTIS ORDER NO.: DE96010238INW

ABSTRACT:

Accomplishments for Task 2, liquid-phase, higher alcohol process with recycle of lower alcohols, are as follows: (1) a new reactor overhead system design has significantly improved retention of slurry oil during reactor operation at high temperature, ca. 375(degrees)C; (2) a series of ''blank'' (without catalyst) runs were made at 375(degrees)C to evaluate thermal stability of three potential slurry liquids, Drakeol(reg sign), Ethylflo(reg sign) 180 and perhydrofluorene; and (3) the rate of methanol formation with the Cu/ZnO BASF S3-86 ''low temperature'' methanol synthesis catalyst was a strong function of stirrer speed at a ''standard'' set of operating conditions. This result suggest that the reaction rate is influenced or controlled by gas/liquid mass transfer, and may explain the previously-observed discrepancy between results from this laboratory and those from Air Products.

REPORT  NUMBER: DOE/PC/90043-T16

CONTRACT  NUMBER: AC22-90PC90043