Liquid phase synthesis of methanol using a commercial copper-zinc catalyst

Abstract

Test industrial copper- zinc catalyst MEGAMAX® 700 was held in the gas-phase methanol synthesis reaction under conditions similar liquid phase process, the variation of pressure (0,5–7,0 MPa) and a flow rate of the gas mixture (40–400 ml/min). The catalyst showed a high activity and selectivity in methanol formation. The best result –730 g (methanol)/kg(cat)·h–1 and the selectivity 99,2 % was obtained under the conditions: 2,0 MPa, 240 °C, H2 : : CO : CO2 : N2 = 70,5 : 17,9 : 6,5 : 5,1 , reaction time – 3 hours. The concentration of byproduct methane increases at gas mixture pressures greater than 3,0 MPa, which leads to lower selectivity to methanol. Besides methane, only trace amounts of ethane and water were fixed. Typical byproduct of the synthesis of methanol – dimethyl ether absent in the entire range of pressures in the gas mixture. The results indicate the possibility of using the catalyst MEGAMAX® 700 liquid-phase methanol synthesis.