Study On Low Cost Methanol Production Utilizes Syngas of Biomass

Syngas of biomass is touted as an alternative energy due to its environmentally clean fuel and reducing greenhouse effect. Utilization of biomass through gasification is usually intended for power generation and produce syngas. The syngas of biomass is proposed for methanol production using local catalyst. The assessment of methanol production for low cost, low temperature and low pressure was conducted by local catalyst that has been developed. The role of the catalyst is the key to achieve optimal conditions through lower activation energy. This study is highlighting the methanol synthesis with Cu-based impregnation catalyst using gamma Al2O3 and Activated-Carbon as the support catalyst. Experiments were carried out for the methanol synthesis at low pressure, 14 bar, and low temperature, from 200 to 260 degrees C. As the result, both catalysts were comparable with a commercial catalyst. Methanol production was good reproducibility. At 260 degrees C, methanol production of both local catalysts reached 8 %, close to equilibrium concentration, while the commercial catalyst was only 2.4%. However, at lower temperature, the methanol production using the local catalysts was less than 0.28% at 200 degrees C and increase by raising temperature. Thus, methanol production was influenced by reaction rate which was much lower than equilibrium state. Scaling up methanol synthesis of commercial catalyst reached 5.2% because of retention time extended. In addition, liquid product was harvested but only 0.9% methanol concentration.