US EPA

1446107 

Journal Article 

Bench scale demonstration of the Supermethanol concept: The synthesis of methanol from glycerol derived syngas 

van Bennekom, JG; Venderbosch, RH; Assink, D; Lemmens, KPJ; Heeres, HJ 

2012 

Yes 

Chemical Engineering Journal
ISSN: 1385-8947 

Elsevier B.V., The Boulevard Kidlington Oxford OX5 1GB United Kingdom 

207-208 (Oct 1 

245-253 

10.1016/j.cej.2012.06.094 

WOS:000311184500028 

An integrated process for the synthesis of methanol from aqueous glycerol involving reforming of the feed to syngas followed by methanol synthesis is successfully demonstrated in a continuous bench scale unit. Glycerol reforming was carried out at pressures of 24-27 MPa and temperatures of 948-998 K with a throughput of approximately 1 kg aqueous feed/h (3-10 wt.% glycerol) leading to high glycerol conversions of (95.0-99.9%) and syngas with a composition range of H2/CO/CO2/CxHy = 44-67/1-21/16-34/2-18 vol.%. The effluent water of the process was recycled at high pressure, reducing the water consumption of the process significantly. Subsequent syngas conversion to methanol was carried out in a packed bed reactor at temperatures between 468 and 518 K and pressures between 24 and 27 MPa using a commercial methanol catalyst (Cu/ZnO/Al2O3). The maximum yield of methanol based on glycerol intake was 0.62 kg methanol/kg glycerol for an experiment with a time on stream of 16 h, which corresponds to a carbon conversion (carbon in methanol over carbon in glycerol) of 60%. This value is close to the maximum theoretical yield of 78% based on stoichiometric considerations. 

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