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Hydrogenation to convert CO 2 to C1 chemicals: Technical comparison of different alternatives by process simulation
Author(s) -
Barbera Elena,
Mantoan Fabio,
Bertucco Alberto,
Bezzo Fabrizio
Publication year - 2020
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.23755
Subject(s) - syngas , renewable energy , process engineering , methane , formic acid , environmental science , energy carrier , greenhouse gas , process (computing) , work (physics) , carbon fibers , carbon dioxide , chemistry , biochemical engineering , computer science , hydrogen , organic chemistry , engineering , mechanical engineering , ecology , algorithm , composite number , electrical engineering , biology , operating system
Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) conversion by catalytic reaction with hydrogen to produce different C1 chemicals is a promising strategy in view of the development of a sustainable chemical industry. In this work, two CO 2 hydrogenation routes are investigated in detail, respectively syngas and formic acid syntheses. Starting from published experimental reaction data, simulation models based on a kinetic analysis were developed and implemented in Aspen Plus process simulator. The two processes are analyzed according to a number of selected technological indicators, comprising CO 2 conversion, specific H 2 consumption, product yield, energy duties, and carbon emissions. To extend our study, three additional CO 2 conversion pathways are considered, respectively methanol, methane, and urea syntheses, whose technological performances were retrieved from similar studies available in the scientific literature. Under the assumption that H 2 is available from renewable sources, our results highlight that CO 2 conversion routes towards fuel compounds (ie, syngas and methane) look particularly appealing from the energy balance point of view. If non‐renewable energy is used to produce H 2 , the actual environmental benefits (in terms of net CO 2 emissions) strongly depend on the country‐specific carbon intensity for electricity generation.