What are the prospects for developing methanol carbonylation to synthesize methyl formate?
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The current domestic demand for methyl formate is not very large, less than 100,000 tons! At present, oxo synthesis technology seems to be mainly foreign. What is the prospect of doing oxo synthesis in China? Thanks for the discussion! !
Domestic Feicheng Asde, Yangba, Jinan Petroleum No. 2 Plant and Guizhou Phosphorus all use methanol carbonylation method for methyl formate, but it is used for hydrolysis to produce formic acid. The domestic production of methyl formate is not large and is mainly used for downstream supporting equipment.
It is a product worthy of attention, and there are several key points to consider.: Downstream uses must be considered first, otherwise it will be a disaster if no use can be found after production. Secondly, there is the control of costs, especially variable costs. The key to this is the cost of CO. Generally, there is no cost advantage in extracting CO from semi-water gas, and the quality is not high, which will cause unnecessary waste. The best is CO produced by pressurized vaporization, which has high quality and low cost. Finally, the source of technology must be reliable and practical. Maybe American AAT technology is relatively better.
Necessary attention should be paid to the downstream products of methyl formate MF, such as amide products, MMA, ethylene glycol, methyl glycolate, etc. In addition, attention should also be paid to the production technology of high-concentration formic acid. The concentration of formic acid produced by Asde in Feicheng in China is as high as 92%, and it can reach 96 or even 98 at home and abroad. In comparison, the added value is still much lower, and of course the price will also be much different. This is determined by the high value-added nature of the product.