STUDY ON THE BEHAVIOR OF AN INTEGRATED TWO-STAGE REACTOR FOR TWO-STEP METHANOL SYNTHESIS

• Published in: Petroleum science and technology Vol. 19; no. 7-8; pp. 825 - 836
• Main Authors: Linghu, Wensheng, Liu, Zhenyu, Zhong, Bing, Li, Yongwang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Colchester Taylor & Francis Group 01-01-2001; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Alcohols: methanol, ethanol, etc; Alternative fuels. Production and utilization; Applied sciences; Carbon monoxide; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Fuels; Gas phases; Liquid phases; Mass transfer; Methyl alcohol; Reactors; Steady state; Synthesis; Carbonylation; Carbon monoxide; Chemical synthesis; Hydrogen; Mass transfer; Methanol
• ISSN: 1091-6466; 1532-2459
• DOI: 10.1081/LFT-100106902

The behavior of an integrated two-stage reactor for two-step methanol synthesis was investigated. The results show that the effect of mass transfer on the overall process is important in the system. Under the conditions used in this study, the carbonylation stage (the first stage) controls the overall process. The mass transfer of CO from the gas phase to the liquid phase is the rate-limiting step in the transient period, and the evaporation of the intermediate, methyl formate, from the liquid phase to the gas phase is the rate-limiting step at the steady state. Pressure, space velocity and temperature show significant influence on the rate of CO reaction at the steady state, while catalyst loading, inert packing and promoters in the first stage show little effects on the rate of CO reaction at the steady state.