Technology and Industrialization Progress on Methanol Synthesis from Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen

Abstract

[Introduction] Carbon dioxide hydrogenation to methanol is one of the important pathways to realize the large-scale utilization of carbon dioxide and it will favor the development of CCUS industrial chain. [Method] Thermodynamic characteristics, catalyst development, industrialization progress and technical economics of carbon dioxide hydrogenation to methanol were reviewed. [Result] Cu-based catalysts, precious metal catalysts and In2O3 catalyst shows good catalytic performance in carbon dioxide hydrogenation to methanol, but they still need to be further improved to increase the carbon dioxide conversion rate and methanol selectivity. Despite the rapid progress in technology of carbon dioxide hydrogenation to methanol, which is currently in the pilot stage, it is presently difficult to apply on a large scale due to high cost of hydrogen and low price of methanol. [Conclusion] Fortunately, the price of hydrogen will drop with the booming of the hydrogen industry, and the national carbon trading market will also start, which are beneficial to the blossom of carbon dioxide hydrogenation to methanol.

Keywords

• carbon dioxide hydrogenation
• methanol
• catalyst
• techno-economic
• industrialization development