Assessment of the liquid phase methanol synthesis process: CO-rich vs. H{sub 2}-rich syngas

Book · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:51934

Vijayaraghavan, P; Lee, S ^[1]; Kulik, C J ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Akron, OH (United States)
2. Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States)

A mechanically agitated slurry reactor system was designed, built and operated to investigate the liquid phase methanol (LPMeOH{trademark}) synthesis process. In this reactor system, syngas reacts in the presence of the methanol synthesis catalyst (Cu/ZnO/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}), which is slurried in the oil phase, and is thoroughly agitated by a mechanically driven impeller. Synthesis gas consisting of H{sub 2}, CO, CO{sub 2} and CH{sub 4} is mainly used as a feedstock in the synthesis of methanol. The sources of syngas for methanol synthesis have become very diverse, ranging from syngas obtained from Lurgi gasifiers (H{sub 2}-rich syngas), to syngas obtained from industrial gasifiers like Texaco and Koppers Totzek (CO-rich syngas). The effect of syngas composition, ranging from CO-rich to H{sub 2}-rich syngas, on the productivity of methanol was investigated. The development of a kinetic rate expression and the effect on equilibrium conversion, using H{sub 2}-rich syngas and CO-rich syngas, will be compared. These results will be of immense help in the modeling of the reactor system, and assist in the design, development, and scale-up of the LPMeOH process.

• OSTI ID: 51934
• Report Number(s): CONF-940930--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMICAL REACTION YIELD
COAL GASIFICATION
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CONCENTRATION RATIO
COPPER
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HYDROGEN
LIQUID PHASE METHANOL PROCESS
METHANATION
METHANOL
NATURAL GAS
SYNTHESIS GAS
ZINC OXIDES