A new gas phase method for producing formic acid. Tests on a pilot installation

On an industrial scale the formic acid is produced from methyl formate by multi-stage liquid-phase methods characterized a high capital intensity and high energy costs. In Institute of Catalysis the gas-phase method was developed for the synthesis of formic acid by catalytic oxidation of formaldehyde by air oxygen. A pilot plant with the capacity up  and design of apparatus fully reproduce the future industrial process. It includes two catalytic stages: oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde and the oxidation of formaldehyde to formic acid. Methanol is oxidized on the commercial iron oxide-molybdenum catalyst in a traditional conditions. The formaldehyde
is oxidized to the acid on oxide vanadium-titanium catalyst at
temperatures of 120-140 °C. Due to the narrow temperature range on the second step it is used a two-reactor scheme and the partial dilution of the bed with inert packing in the first reactor. Tests were performed at a 6–7 %vol. concentration of methanol in the mixture. and temperature variations in the formaldehyde oxidation reactor. In optimal conditions the acid yield is 87-88% per converted formaldehyde and 79–81 % – for methanol conversion. This is achieved at full methanol conversion, and conversion of formaldehyde 96,5–98,5 %. The technology meets the requirements of «green» chemistry.

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