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Methanol production by bi‐reforming
Author(s) -
Santos Bruno A. V.,
Loureiro José M.,
Ribeiro Ana M.,
Rodrigues Alírio E.,
Cunha Adelino F.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the canadian journal of chemical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.404
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1939-019X
pISSN - 0008-4034
DOI - 10.1002/cjce.22068
Subject(s) - steam reforming , fossil fuel , carbon dioxide , greenhouse gas , natural gas , methanol , methane , carbon dioxide reforming , carbon neutral fuel , waste management , environmental science , biomass (ecology) , syngas , chemistry , ecology , hydrogen production , engineering , catalysis , organic chemistry , biology
Population growth and emerging economies have as consequence increasing energy demands associated with fossil fuel depletion and environmental impacts. A new philosophy emerges: the concept of green chemistry. Carbon dioxide, a well‐known greenhouse gas, is a source for the production of fine chemicals and fuels such as methanol. It appears in abundance due to anthropogenic human activities. Nowadays, methanol is typically produced from synthesis‐gas which requires conventional fossil fuels; however, the availability of these fuels is limited. As an alternative, the vent streams of steam reforming units, which are rich in carbon dioxide and steam, can be used together with methane (natural gas) in a bi‐reforming process for methanol synthesis. The essential idea is that carbon dioxide and water are recycled like in a synthetic photosynthesis process.