Japan discovers cheap route to convert natural gas into methanol

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According to a report in the British journal Chemical World dated January 23, 2008, as reported by Global Energy Network, Japanese researchers have developed a fuel cell that can convert methane, the main component of natural gas, into methanol fuel under milder conditions. 　　Although methane can be easily obtained from natural gas or waste generated in landfills and farms at low cost, the widespread use of methanol fuel is limited by the high costs associated with converting methane into methanol, a process that typically requires high temperatures and pressures. Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan used a new material – tin phosphide doped with a small amount of indium – as an electrolyte for hydrogen or air fuel cells, enabling methane to be converted into methanol in a fuel cell reactor at 80°C and atmospheric pressure. 　　Fuel cells typically convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity and water, and reactive oxygen radicals are also formed in this process. Researchers found that by adding methane to hydrogen fuel, they could use these reactive oxygen radicals to oxidize methane into methanol at lower temperatures. Just as in conventional fuel cells, the energy from hydrogen reactions can also be stored as electricity. The researchers also stated that the reactivity of methane remains low at present; therefore, unreacted methane must be recycled multiple times in practical applications. However, they remain optimistic about the potential of this device for amplification experiments. The goal is for this fuel cell system to serve as a new type of methanol production device, replacing traditional chemical plant equipment. 　　The Center for Power, Environmental Protection, and Renewable Energy at California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, USA, states that this work is of great significance for improving the efficiency of natural gas energy utilization. Low-cost methanol is a very useful raw material that can be used to produce gasoline and diesel, or it can be used directly as fuel. Furthermore, this technology also provides a new method for processing remote gases or small amounts of associated gas