New processes target methanol production, off-gas cleaning

Two catalytic processes are being developed to lessen pollution caused by methanol and plant exhaust gases. The methanol process, developed by Lurgie Ol-Gas-Chemie, involves the conversion of carbon dioxide into methanol using a gas made of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Meanwhile, the Boreskov Institute of Catalysis in Novsibirsk, Russia has developed a catalytic reverse processing method using a composite bed of inert granular solids to decontaminate gas containing volatile organic compounds.