89
Methanol
The biomass alternative would make methanol a renewable resource by
the following simplified reaction:
biomass → synthesis gas (CO, H 2 ) → CH 3 OH.
Biomass can be converted to synthesis gas by a process called partial oxidation and later converted to methanol. In the first step biomass undergoes gasification to produce synthesis gas. Carbon source is reacted with steam (or
steam and oxygen) at very high temperatures to produce CO, and H 2 in the
gasification is a process that may be summarized into the following equations (Ebbeson, Stokes, and Stokes 2000; Kaneko et al. 2003; Watkins 2008):
CH x O y + H 2 O ↔ CO + H 2 + CO 2 .
Reaction can also be carried out as
CH x O y + O 2 + H 2 O ↔ CO + H 2 + CO 2 ,
where the O 2 burns some of the biomass to supply the heat for the reaction.
The following equation shows that the synthesis gas is then reacted in the
presence of a catalyst to yield CH 3 OH by methanol synthesis reaction that
represented previously (Watkins 2008):
2H 2 + CO ↔ CH 3 OH
ΔHr = –92 kJ/mol.
4.4 Methanol Economics
Since its commercial implementation in 1923, methanol synthesis has undergone numerous improvements. These are mainly driven by reduction of
investment costs that dominate in the production cost of methanol (Lange
2001). In the early 1980s, methanol gradually emerged as the clear front-runner
in studies focusing on fossil fuel replacements and was largely considered as
one of the most probable solutions to the energy issue. The methanol production capacities installed throughout the world increased from 18 million tons
per year in 1985 to 25 million tons per year in 1990 (De Alwis, Mohamad,
and Mehrotra 2009; Vucins 2006). Since the early 1980s, less efficient small
facilities are being replaced by larger plants using new efficient low-pressure
technologies. The industry has also moved from supplying captive customers, especially for the production of formaldehyde (CH 2 O) that typically
represents one-half of world demand and serving primarily the home market, to large globally oriented corporations. Demand patterns too have been
changing such as in Europe where methanol was once blended into gasoline
Methanol
The biomass alternative would make methanol a renewable resource by
the following simplified reaction:
biomass → synthesis gas (CO, H 2 ) → CH 3 OH.
Biomass can be converted to synthesis gas by a process called partial oxidation and later converted to methanol. In the first step biomass undergoes gasification to produce synthesis gas. Carbon source is reacted with steam (or
steam and oxygen) at very high temperatures to produce CO, and H 2 in the
gasification is a process that may be summarized into the following equations (Ebbeson, Stokes, and Stokes 2000; Kaneko et al. 2003; Watkins 2008):
CH x O y + H 2 O ↔ CO + H 2 + CO 2 .
Reaction can also be carried out as
CH x O y + O 2 + H 2 O ↔ CO + H 2 + CO 2 ,
where the O 2 burns some of the biomass to supply the heat for the reaction.
The following equation shows that the synthesis gas is then reacted in the
presence of a catalyst to yield CH 3 OH by methanol synthesis reaction that
represented previously (Watkins 2008):
2H 2 + CO ↔ CH 3 OH
ΔHr = –92 kJ/mol.
4.4 Methanol Economics
Since its commercial implementation in 1923, methanol synthesis has undergone numerous improvements. These are mainly driven by reduction of
investment costs that dominate in the production cost of methanol (Lange
2001). In the early 1980s, methanol gradually emerged as the clear front-runner
in studies focusing on fossil fuel replacements and was largely considered as
one of the most probable solutions to the energy issue. The methanol production capacities installed throughout the world increased from 18 million tons
per year in 1985 to 25 million tons per year in 1990 (De Alwis, Mohamad,
and Mehrotra 2009; Vucins 2006). Since the early 1980s, less efficient small
facilities are being replaced by larger plants using new efficient low-pressure
technologies. The industry has also moved from supplying captive customers, especially for the production of formaldehyde (CH 2 O) that typically
represents one-half of world demand and serving primarily the home market, to large globally oriented corporations. Demand patterns too have been
changing such as in Europe where methanol was once blended into gasoline