MANUFACTURE OF CARBON MONOXIDE

摘要

PURPOSE:To obtain methanol and high purity CO by thermally decomposing methyl formate alone in a methyl formate-methanol mixture in the presence of a specified alkali metal compound to improve the selecting rate and decomposing rate. CONSTITUTION:Methyl formate alone in a methyl formate-methanol mixture is thermally decomposed in the presence of an alkali metal compound such as potassium hydroxide or sodium sulfate as catalyst other than alkali metal alcoholates to obtain methanol and CO. The amount of the catalyst used depends on the utilization form, and for example, in case of a fixed bed type continuous method the catalyst amount is not especially restricted. When the catalyst is mixed into the starting material mixture or the catalyst and mixture are fed to a reactor separately and simultaneously to perform the reaction batchwise or continuously, the amount of the catalyst used is 0.1-400mg atom as alkali metal atom per mol of methyl formate.