TITLE: Liquid Phase Methanol. Interim Report.

AUTHOR: M. Sherwin;   D. Blum.

INST.  AUTHOR: Chem Systems, Inc., Fairfield, N.J.

LANGUAGE: English

PUB.  TYPE: Technical Report

PUB.  COUNTRY: United States

SOURCE: Department of Energy [DEP],  May 78,  126p.

ABSTRACT:

This work covers work on the development of the Liquid Phase Methanol process on the laboratory, bench, and process development unit scales.  Laboratory work included the following: (1) Catalyst poisoning models were developed for sulfur (H sub 2 S) and chloride (CH sub 3 Cl). Ethylene and NO sub 2 were determined nonpoisons. (2) Unsuccessful attempts were made to produce higher alcohols by modifying the catalyst. Bench scale work included: (1) It was shown that the reactivity of 50 x 70 Mesh catalyst slurry is 35% higher than the normal 16 x 20 M consist. (2) It was shown that H sub 2 deficient gases could be shifted in the methanol synthesis reactor. (3) A thirty-day continuous run was successfully completed with minimal catalyst activity loss. (4) It was found that reactor productivity could be significantly increased by displacing the approach to chemical equilibrium in the reactor exit. No practical means has yet been demonstrated to take advantage of this, however. The PDU work consisted of several 5-day runs which demonstrate the basic operation of the process.  The runs were clouded somewhat by catalyst deactivation; a long term PDU demonstration is the major goal of the continuing development. (ERA citation 03:047016)