Methanol synthesis studies using in situ FTIR spectroscopy
Future demand for methanol could expand multifold as coal assumes a greater proportion of energy needs. Although methanol is presently economically unattractive as a substitute for gasoline, the State of California has begun a program to operate 550 vehicles with methanol because it produces fewer pollutants than gasoline. More than 300 privately-owned vehicles, converted by Future Fuels of America, Inc., are running on methanol in the Sacramento, San Francisco, and Los Angeles areas. Even if gasoline remains the major automotive fuel into the next century, methanol production could increase significantly if technology such as Mobil Oil's M-Gasoline process is used to produce gasoline. This process uses a zeolite catalyst (ZSM-5) to convert methanol into a blend of paraffins, cycloparaffins, and aromatics with a research octane number of 93, i.e., an unleaded premium gasoline. New Zealand will use this technology to convert natural gas into approximately 12,500 bbl/d of gasoline. Utilities using coal gasification technology for power generation will probably also manufacture methanol. During off-peak hours, part of the syngas would be converted to methanol and stored; during peak hours, the methanol would be used as fuel in gas turbines to meet the high electrical demand. And finally, there is great potential for future development of methanol as a primary feedstock in the chemical industry, especially as supplies of ethylene and propylene decrease. An example is the manufacture of acetic acid, where methanol has replaced ethylene as the primary feedstock in new technologies by BASF and Monsanto.
- Research Organization:
- Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Ames Lab., USDOE Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA
- OSTI ID:
- 5664599
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-860425-
- Journal Information:
- Am. Chem. Soc., Div. Gas Fuel Chem., Prepr.; (United States), Vol. 31:2; Conference: 191. American Chemical Society national meeting, New York, NY, USA, 13 Apr 1986
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
METHANOL
CHEMICAL PREPARATION
INFRARED SPECTRA
USES
ANTIKNOCK RATINGS
CALIFORNIA
CHEMICAL FEEDSTOCKS
CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
COAL
DISTILLATION
FOURIER TRANSFORM SPECTROMETERS
FUEL ADDITIVES
FUEL SUBSTITUTION
GASOLINE
MOBIL M-GASOLINE PROCESS
NEW ZEALAND
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
ADDITIVES
ALCOHOLS
AUSTRALASIA
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
ENERGY SOURCES
FEDERAL REGION IX
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRY
LIQUID FUELS
MATERIALS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPECTRA
SPECTROMETERS
SYNTHESIS
USA
090221* - Alcohol Fuels- Chemical Synthesis- (1976-1989)
400104 - Spectral Procedures- (-1987)
295000 - Energy Planning & Policy- Hydrogen & Synthetic Fuels