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Besides water, raw methanol produced from steel mill gases within the Carbon2Chem® project contains dissolved carbon dioxide. Refractometry and densimetry were investigated as analysis methods to analyze raw methanol samples quickly and reliably. To verify existing calibration curves, a set of standard solutions from pure chemicals was produced. Experimental results differed significantly from published refractive index data, especially in the range of high methanol weight fractions, which are of particular interest for the Carbon2Chem® project.

Oxymethylene dimethyl ethers (OMEn; CH3(‐OCH2‐)nO‐CH3, n=3-5) are a novel class of sustainable synthetic fuels, which are of increasing interest due to their soot‐free combustion. Herein a novel anhydrous OMEn synthesis route is presented. Catalyzed by trimethyloxonium salts, dimethoxymethane takes up monomeric gaseous formaldehyde instantaneously and forms high purity OMEn at temperatures of 25-30 °C. This new anhydrous approach using molecular formaldehyde and catalytic amounts of highly active trimethyloxonium salts represents a promising new step towards a sustainable formation of OMEn emanating from CO2 and H2.