Münster 2017 – scientific programme

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AKE: Arbeitskreis Energie

AKE 8: Sector Coupling, Chemical Conversion and Storage of Renewable Energy

AKE 8.5: Talk

Tuesday, March 28, 2017, 12:45–13:00, S Aula

Synthesis of Methanol from CO₂ for Power-to-Liquid applications — •Fabian Rachow, Moritz Hagendorf, Klaus Müller, and Dieter Schmeißer — Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus - Senftenberg, Angewandte Physik-Sensorik, Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 17, 03046 Cottbus, Germany

The direct synthesis of methanol [CO₂ + 3H₂ ⇌ CH₃OH + H₂O] represent a possibility to reduce the global CO₂-emission by recycling the CO₂ and also to store excess energy from renewable energy sources into a common fuel or chemical feedstock (Power-to-Liquid). For an acceptable conversion rate of CO₂ a catalyst is needed, together with high temperatures (>200^∘C) and high pressure (50-200bar). Methanol is normally produced form synthesis gas, a mixture of CO and H₂. By directly using CO₂ for the exothermic reaction, we avoid the conversion of CO₂ to CO by the reversed water gas shift reaction. We also present new concepts for the conversion from CO₂-rich flue gases, eliminating the need for a separation of the CO₂. The concept is backed up by measurements in laboratory scale. Here we use a Cu−ZnO catalyst on a ZrO₂ substrate prepared by impregnation and compare the results with commercially available catalysts. We achieved a conversion of around 7% and a selectivity of 60% at a temperature of 240^∘C and 45bar. The reaction is thermodynamically limited with a maximum conversion rate of 15% at 250^∘C and 50bar. The conversion and the selectivity towards methanol is highly influenced by the catalyst used, the temperature, the pressure as well as the flow rate of the reactants.