Japan discovers cheap route to convert natural gas into methanol~!~!

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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 have found that by adding methane to hydrogen fuel, these reactive oxygen radicals can be used 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 said that the reactivity of methane remains low at present; therefore, in practical applications, unreacted methane must be circulated multiple times. However, they remain optimistic about the potential for scaling up this system. Their goal is for this fuel cell system to serve as a new type of methanol production device, replacing traditional chemical plant equipment. Experts from the Center for Electrical, Environmental, and Renewable Energy Research at California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, USA, say 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 used directly as fuel. Furthermore, this technology also provides a new method for processing remote gases or small amounts of associated gas.