Study on Catalytic Experiments of Methanol Synthesis from Cornstalk Syngas

Biomass energy is a renewable and potential resource. In order to research the conversion of cornstalk biomass (the agricultural residues) into the fuel methanol and the effective utilization of biomass energy, the low-heat-value cornstalk gas was produced by means of the thermo-chemical method in the down-flow fixed bed gasifier. The cornstalk gas was purified and the technical procedures such as desulfurization, catalytic cracking of tar, deoxygenation, purification and hydrogenation were performed. With the optimum test result, the cornstalk synthesis gas was prepared. The catalytic experiments of methanol synthesis with cornstalk syngas were carried out in a tubular flow integral and isothermal reactor. The effect of the catalyst types, catalyst particle size was investigated at 235°C under the pressure 5MPa. The experimental results indicated that the proper catalyst for the synthetic reaction was C301 and the optimum catalyst size was 0.833mm×0.351mm. This study can provided basic data for the further studies of methanol synthesis from biomass (cornstalk) gas.