Chemicals from methanol

Conference · · Catal. Rev.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5670929

Wender, I

For good reasons, there has been a spate of articles, much thinking, and a fair amount of industrial action on making chemicals and fuels from methanol. Only methane and methanol are made commercially in over 99% yields from synthesis gas. Methanol promises to be the raw material that may displace ethylene and other petrochemical feedstocks from chemical syntheses. The trend in processes for the synthesis of chemicals is shifting away from high energy and usually expensive intermediates toward lower energy, more available and secure materials such as methanol and synthesis gas. This article will be concerned chiefly with the synthesis of oxygenated chemicals of mostly, but not exclusively, two carbon oxygenated compounds. The only oxygenated chemicals now made commercially from methanol are formaldehyde, acetic acid, methyl acetate, and methyl formate. The Tennessee Eastman plant for the production of 500 million pounds per year of acetic anhydride from 900 tons per day of high sulfur bituminous coal will be in operation in 1984. Methanol may be the source of emerging, hopefully improved syntheses of acetic anhydride, acetaldehyde, ethanol, ethyl acetate, vinyl acetate, and ethylene glycol. The routes to these chemicals usually involve either the catalyzed carbonylation, reductive carbonylation, or oxidative carbonylation of methanol or formaldehyde by transition metal complexes or catalysis by bases. The routes are discussed. 33 references, 3 figures, 1 table.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA
• OSTI ID: 5670929
• Report Number(s): CONF-840102-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Catal. Rev.; (United States) Journal Volume: 26:3-4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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ACETATES
ACETIC ACID
ALCOHOLS
ALDEHYDES
ALKYLATED AROMATICS
ANHYDRIDES
AROMATICS
BASES
CARBOXYLIC ACID ESTERS
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CATALYSIS
CATALYSTS
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
CHEMICAL FEEDSTOCKS
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DICARBOXYLIC ACIDS
ELEMENTS
ESTERS
FORMALDEHYDE
GLYCOLS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
KINETICS
METALS
METHANOL
MONOCARBOXYLIC ACIDS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXALIC ACID ESTERS
PRODUCTION
REACTION KINETICS
STYRENE
TEREPHTHALIC ACID
TOLUENE
TRANSITION ELEMENTS