Thread Content
In the past, dimethyl ether was mainly used as aerosol spray propellant, but if it can be mass-produced at low cost, it can be used as a clean fuel. This dimethyl ether fuel has properties similar to LPG and can be used in a variety of applications including homes, transportation and power generation. In particular, dimethyl ether can be used as fuel for diesel engines and gas turbines or as a substitute for LPG, so it has great development potential. In view of this, the demand for dimethyl ether has grown significantly in recent years, and companies from various countries have successively developed new processes that save investment, have good operating conditions, and are pollution-free. This mainly includes two-step method and one-step method. The two-step method first synthesizes methanol from synthesis gas, and then dehydrates it to produce dimethyl ether; while the one-step method refers to synthesizing dimethyl ether from synthesis gas in one step. It is also reported that the direct synthesis of dimethyl ether by hydrogenation of CO2 is already under development and research. Since the early 1980s, TOPSOE has been involved in the development of dimethyl ether-related technologies, catalysts, applications and markets. At first, he focused on the research on the use of dimethyl ether as a chemical intermediate, and later focused on the development of potential raw materials for using it as acetic acid, etc. He later discovered that dimethyl ether was an excellent alternative fuel to diesel, making it stand out as a versatile fuel that could be used in many applications. At present, TOPSOE dimethyl ether technology and catalyst have been selected for use in the world's largest large-scale dimethyl ether device. The device is located in the Zagros plant in Iran and uses TOPSOE dehydrogenation technology with a production capacity of 800,000 tons/year. It is scheduled to be put into production this year. This will be a major step for dimethyl ether to become a large-volume fuel. Japan's JFE Company has also developed a new process for producing dimethyl ether and successfully conducted a small-scale test on a L00 ton/day demonstration device. This process technology uses synthesis gas to directly synthesize dimethyl ether in one step. TOTAL decided to join a Japanese consortium to further develop this technology. To this end, TOTAL has acquired the shares of two branches operated by Japan's JFE Company and jointly developed it with the consortium's member companies such as Nippon Sanso, Toyota Tsusho, Hitachi, Idemitsu Kosan, Nippon LNG and Nippon Petroleum Exploration. TOTAL noted in its Choose Energy Action report that one of the most promising ways to ensure sustainable development is the production of liquid fuels from syngas from various sources. These sources include natural gas from the Middle East and Russia, coal from the United States, India and China, and biomass from Europe and Africa. In this industry, known production processes are natural gas liquefaction, coal liquefaction and biomass liquefaction. In addition, the Dimethyl Ether Development Company is also developing a new process for directly synthesizing dimethyl ether. It is believed that compared with the traditional two-step process, the new process is a simplified one-step method, which has the advantages of energy efficiency and environmental friendliness. Many trials have been carried out in 2005 to provide optimized arrangements for this year. Dimethyl Ether International is also identifying and promoting the development of potential markets for dimethyl ether to verify the economic feasibility of building an industrial plant with an annual capacity of 3,000-6,000 tons per year in 2010. Taiyo Oil Company (TAIYO OIL) plans to industrially produce LPG substitute dimethyl ether. The company pointed out that using dimethyl ether as fuel does not produce dust emissions and has a high cetane number. The company plans to build a 2 million tons/year dimethyl ether unit. The current main use is as an aerosol propellant. The annual demand in the Japanese market is approximately 10,000 tons, and its demand as fuel is expected to increase rapidly.