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(1) Formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is one of the most important downstream products of methanol, as well as one of the most crucial basic organic chemical raw materials. Its main use is in the production of phenolic resins, adhesives, and other organic chemical compounds. In recent years, with the rapid development of China’s economic construction, the production of formaldehyde has been increasing at a rate of 4.5% per year, requiring more than 1 million tons of methanol as raw material each year. To meet the demands of the chemical industry, new processes for producing formaldehyde using methanol as a raw material should be developed vigorously to satisfy the needs for synthesizing high-quality engineering plastics (phenol-formaldehyde resins) and urotropine, among other substances. (2) Methyl formate. Methyl formate (MF) is regarded as a universal intermediate, from which dozens of chemicals are derived. It is a current hotspot in the development of C1 chemistry. The large-scale production methods widely used at home and abroad are methanol carbonylation and methanol dehydrogenation. The cost of producing methyl formate via methanol carbonylation is only 1/3 of that of the conventional esterification method. Methyl formate can be used to produce formic acid, formamide, and other fine chemical products; it can also be used directly as an insecticide, fungicide, fumigant, tobacco treatment agent, and gasoline additive. Its demand is expected to increase at a rate of 10% per year. With the increasing demands for environmental protection, methyl formate, which is synthesized from methanol, CO2, and H2, deserves attention. (3) Methylamine. Methylamine is an important aliphatic amine. Using liquid ammonia and methanol as raw materials, and under catalytic conditions, it is possible to separate various structurally different derivatives such as monomethylamine, dimethylamine, and trimethylamine through pressure distillation. It is one of the basic organic chemical raw materials. The global annual production capacity is 1.12 million tons, while the domestic annual production capacity is 250,000 tons. The global annual consumption is 1.65 million tons, with an annual growth rate of 12%. With the rapid development of DMF in our country, it has also led to a continuous increase in the demand for methamine, especially dimethylamine. Monomethylamine, dimethylamine, and trimethylamine are all intermediates used in the chemical industry, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and coatings, and they hold considerable market potential. The methamine production process developed by Belgian United Chemicals uses methanol and ammonia as raw materials. Thanks to the high-performance catalysts it has developed, it is possible to produce mono-methamine, di-methamine, and tri-methamine in any desired proportions. This is a pollution-free, continuous production process that is entirely controlled by computers; the overall yield of this process is over 96.5%, the purity of the final product is extremely high, and the catalyst’s lifespan exceeds two years. (4) Dimethyl carbonate. Dimethyl carbonate (DMC), synthesized by the gas-phase oxidation carbonylation of methanol, is an environmentally friendly and green product that has attracted widespread attention at home and abroad in recent years. As global requirements for environmental protection and safe production become increasingly stringent, chemicals such as dimethyl sulfate, phosgene, methyl chloroformate, and chloromethane will be phased out worldwide. The chemical structure of DMC contains a methyl group, a carboxyl group, and a methoxycarbonyl group, allowing it to perform the functions of the aforementioned chemicals in chemical synthesis reactions; merely by replacing these products, DMC can capture a considerable share of the market. Moreover, DMC has passed the registration for non-toxic chemicals, opening the way for its use in pharmaceuticals, optoelectronic materials, and other application areas. The new process developed by the Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, for the liquid-phase oxidative carbonylation of methanol to produce DMC incorporates an advanced azeotropic technique, reaching international advanced levels. It shows great potential for industrial application; it can not only enhance the economic efficiency of China’s methanol and nitrogen fertilizer industries but also contribute to technological and economic progress in the pharmaceutical, pesticide, and specialty industries, offering very broad prospects for use. (5) Ethylene glycol. In China, about 95% of the ethylene glycol consumed is used in the production of polyesters, while 5% is used for producing antifreeze and other applications. In recent years, driven by strong demand from the polyester industry, the domestic market for ethylene glycol has maintained a rapid growth trend. According to statistics, in 1995 China’s apparent consumption of ethylene glycol was 657,000 tons; this figure has now risen to 5.088 million tons, making China the largest consumer of ethylene glycol in the world, surpassing the United States. It is predicted that China’s polyester production will reach 17.3 million tons in 2008, and based on a consumption rate of 0.34 tons of polyester per ton, approximately 5.88 million tons of ethylene glycol will be needed. By 2010, polyester production is expected to reach 19 million tons, requiring around 6.46 million tons of ethylene glycol. Plus a 5% requirement for antifreeze, etc. The total domestic demand for ethylene glycol is expected to be around 6.17 million tons in 2008, and around 6.77 million tons in 2010. It can be said that ethylene glycol is one of the petrochemical intermediates with the most active market performance in the past two years. In the coming years, China’s ethylene glycol market will become a stage for competition with foreign products. However, China’s production level of ethylene glycol is still behind that of foreign countries, and its energy and material consumption is higher than the advanced levels seen abroad. We should take measures to bring it up to international standards in order to enhance the competitiveness of our products. The industrial production method of ethylene glycol involves the oxidation of ethylene to produce ethylene oxide, which is then hydrolyzed to yield ethylene glycol. Developing a route to produce ethylene glycol from methanol is of great significance, as it enables the synthesis of ethylene glycol using coal as a substitute for oil. The route of producing formaldehyde from methanol and then converting it into ethylene glycol holds great development potential, given that the technologies for producing methanol from syngas and for converting methanol into formaldehyde are already highly mature. The Osaka Radiochemistry Laboratory at the RIKEN Institute in Japan developed a method for the photo-induced selective synthesis of ethylene glycol from methanol in the presence of hydrogen peroxide; the yield of ethylene glycol increases as the duration of ultraviolet light exposure increases. Hydrogen peroxide is decomposed by ultraviolet light into hydroxyl groups; these hydroxyl groups quickly react with methanol to form hydroxymethyl groups, which then rapidly polymerize to form ethylene glycol. (6) Methyl tert-butyl ether. Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is the fastest-growing product among methanol-derived products; it is an important high-octane gasoline additive and was once regarded as a third-generation petroleum chemical. Although a recent study has shown that MTBE can easily pollute soil and groundwater and is carcinogenic, it remained a relatively ideal gasoline additive before the advent of fourth-generation petroleum chemicals. With our country’s increasing emphasis on environmental protection and the growing demand for lead-free gasoline, a broad market has been created for MTBE. According to experts, China’s demand for MTBE is expected to increase further in the coming years, with the amount of methanol required for its production reaching around 250,000 tons per year.