What is the impact of high reaction temperatures in the methanol synthesis tower on the methanol product?
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In some enterprises, the methanol reaction temperature is high, with peak temperatures reaching 310°C. What is the impact of high reaction temperatures in the methanol synthesis tower on the methanol product?
Excessively high temperatures lead to an increase in by-products such as paraffin, which results in high energy consumption during the distillation of pure methanol and poor product quality
Paraffin still has a certain relationship with the quality of catalyst products.
The catalyst ages relatively quickly
310°C can only be achieved in air-cooled towers such as Lindas; water-cooled towers cannot reach this temperature. The suitable temperature range offered by various catalyst manufacturers is 180–320°C, with the optimal temperature being 220–280°C. A difference emerges once the actual temperature reaches 310°C.
Hydrogen and carbon monoxide undergo a synthetic oil reaction under conditions of a hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of 3–4, an iron-based catalyst, a temperature of 270°C, and a pressure of 2.75 MPa; based on this, it is possible to determine the extent to which side reactions occur
In many manufacturers, high temperatures occur towards the end of the catalyst’s useful life, due to numerous side reactions and low conversion rates. However, because market conditions are good, replacement is not carried out for the time being; or, based on economic considerations, it is decided to replace the catalyst and wait for a while before restarting production – that is the appropriate approach