Catalytic pathways identification for partial oxidation of methanol on copper-zinc catalysts: CH₃OH + 1/2O₂ ↔ CO₂ + 2H₂

Generation of stoichiometrically feasible, independent catalytic pathways (IPi)of methanol?s catalytic partial oxidation (CPO) of methanol from a set of plausible elementary reactions was studied. A rate equation was derived on the basis of each IPi according to the Langmuir-Hishelwood-Hougen-Watson formalism. The resultant rate equations were fitted to experimental data; the pathway corresponding to the best-fitting rate equation was deemed most likely to be the dominant or ultimate one. The rate equation based on the dominant pathway would be applicable in designing and operating industrial processes for implementing CPO of methanol. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the AIChE Annual Meeting (San Francisco, CA 11/12-17/2006).