Process design overview for upgrading a gas-to-methanol facility

摘要

With the surge in natural gas production in the US, gas-to-methanol plants are receiving renewed interest. Not only are new methanol plants being built, but existing plants are also being revamped to increase and optimize their production. Methanol is used as a feedstock to produce chemicals such as acetic acid and formaldehyde, which, in turn, are used in products like adhesives, foams, plywood and solvents.1 Methanol is also used in the production of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), a gasoline component that improves air quality, as well as in the production of dimethyl ether (DME), a clean-burning fuel with similar properties to propane. Furthermore, methanol is a key component in biodiesel, a renewable fuel that can be used in place of, or blended with, conventional diesel fuel.