"Total to make plastics from methanol

The oil company opened a demonstration plant to produce olefins and polyolefins from methanol.

Abstract

The use of synthesis gas (syngas) offers the opportunity to furnish a broad range of environmentally clean fuels and chemicals. There has been steady growth in the traditional uses of syngas. Almost all hydrogen gas is manufactured from syngas and there has been a tremendous spurt in the demand for this basic chemical; indeed, the chief use of syngas is in the manufacture of hydrogen for a growing number of purposes. Methanol not only remains the second largest consumer of syngas but has shown remarkable growth as part of the methyl ethers used as octane enhancers in automotive fuels. The Fischer-Tropsch synthesis remains the third largest consumer of syngas, mostly for transportation fuels but also as a growing feedstock source for the manufacture of chemicals, including polymers. Future growth in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis may take place outside the continental United States. The hydroformylation of olefins (the oxo reaction), a completely chemical use of syngas, is the fourth largest use of carbon monoxide and hydrogen mixtures; research and industrial application in this field continue to grow steadily. A direct application of syngas as fuel (and eventually also for chemicals) that promises to increase is its use for Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) units for the generation of electricity (and also chemicals) from coal, petroleum coke or heavy residuals. In the period 2005–2015, the amount of syngas employed in this manner may approach that used for all other specific purposes. Syngas is the principal source of carbon monoxide, which is used in an expanding list of so-called carbonylation reactions."

Although "coal" is not specifically mentioned, for whatever unfathomable reason, we hope our readers understand that, in 1999, that's where the "syngas, mostly for transportation fuels", only at that time in South Africa, was coming from. And, Fischer-Tropsch technology is one of the several developed in Europe early in the last century, as we've thoroughly documented, to produce liquid transportation fuels from coal.

We'll emphasize that complete passage: "The Fischer-Tropsch synthesis remains the third largest consumer of syngas, mostly for transportation fuels but also as a growing feedstock source for the manufacture of chemicals, including polymers."

Note that, in 1999, it was recognized, in Pittsburgh, that coal could be a feedstock not just for fuels, but for other "chemicals, including polymers", as well.

Why is it, then, that, ten years later, we, in the very heart of Coal Country, are still suffering foreign petroleum producer extortion to supply our liquid fuel and plastics manufacturing raw material needs?

ScienceDaily (Oct. 23, 2009) — Researchers at the University of Washington and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have taken an important step in converting methane gas to a liquid, potentially making it more useful as a fuel and as a source for making other chemicals.

Methane, the primary component of natural gas, is plentiful and is an attractive fuel and raw material for chemicals because it is more efficient than oil, produces less pollution and could serve as a practical substitute for petroleum-based fuels until renewable fuels are widely useable and available.

However, methane is difficult and costly to transport because it remains a gas at temperatures and pressures typical on the Earth's surface.

Now UNC and UW scientists have moved closer to devising a way to convert methane to methanol or other liquids that can easily be transported, especially from the remote sites where methane is often found. The finding is published in the Oct. 23 issue of the journal Science."

The above article on the work at UW and UNC is full of caveats and cautions. But, it confirms other research we've documented that methane can be converted into methanol, and it can be done efficiently, though the researchers at these two institutions seem afraid, for some reason, to say so. Their schools receive generous grants from Big Oil, would be our guess.

But we will remind you of a rare Big Oil positive achievement: Exxon-Mobil, using a zeolite catalyst, have developed a commercial technology, "The MTG Process", wherein methanol is converted into gasoline.

So:

WVU, with the United States Bureau of Mines, more than 30 years ago, said we can convert coal into methane; but, they whispered it very, very quietly behind what was still, at that time, the Iron Curtain.

The University of Washington, USC, et. al., say we can convert methane to methanol. Exxon-Mobil says we can convert methanol to gasoline.