METHANOL SYNTHESIS FROM BLAST-FURNACE OFF-GAS

Carbon dioxide emission from the blast furnace can be suppressed by the establishment of the blast furnace operation with natural gas injection and methanol synthesis process from the off gas. Natural gas injection leads to the decrease in concentrations of CO and CO2 and to the increase in H-2, which are advantageous to the methanol synthesis reaction. Catalysts of Cu-ZnO/Al2O3 system were found active in the methanol synthesis from the off gas, although the composition of a Cu-ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst used in the conventional methanol synthesis industry showed the formation of only a small amount of methanol. The catalysts of Cu-ZnO/Al2O3 system with the higher concentrations of Cu and ZnO were highly active and selective to methanol where the selectivity reached 90%. The reduction temperature of the catalysts exerted remarkable influence on the methanol yield. The Cu-ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst with the optimal composition of Cu, ZnO, and Al2O3 demonstrated excellent stability in the methanol synthesis during a long time run.