Clariant and Air Liquide Roll Out the MegaZonE Methanol Technology Under Their Partnership

Clariant and Air Liquide under their long-term collaboration have showcased a breakthrough MegaZonE technology based on Clariant’s MegaMax® catalyst series for upscaling high-quality methanol production. The technique employs a series of catalysts with different activities for the optimization of heat and overall catalytic performance in the methanol synthesis reactor.

The catalysts used in MegaZonE technology have been fashioned in accordance with the reaction conditions throughout the production pathway to ensure enhanced shelf-life of the catalysts to up to 2 years. The catalysts exhibiting moderate activity are filled in the convertor’s hotter zones to inhibit hotspots while the high-activity catalysts are loaded in the bottom of the reaction pathway to expedite the rate of reaction towards the lower portion of the converter. The fast reaction rates give rise to improved yields by approximately 15% and reduce by-product formation by 10%. Besides being compact and robust, this technology exhibits compatibility with a variety of feeds such as unused syngas, stranded gas, or carbon dioxide-rich gases, which imparts a dimension of sustainability to it.

Engrossed with supreme advantages, the Clariant’s trademark MegaZonE technology has been introduced in Asia’s two world-scale methanol production facilities which advocated its stable and competent performance.

Methanol is a versatile organic liquid that finds applications in almost every sector ranging from automotive, construction, paints and coatings to consumer products that include, cosmetics, carpets, furniture etc. Methanol is an active chemical in the ongoing research dedicated towards the production of low-carbon energies through methanol electro-oxidation reaction in fuel cells.

As per ChemAnalyst, the automotive sector consuming one-fourth of the total global production will propel the global demand for methanol which is anticipated to hike with a CAGR of over 5% in the upcoming years. The introduction of a technique with the ability to boost production is of vital importance in the wake of rising global demand. Features like the production efficiency and sustainability of this innovative technology are expected to attract more and more buyers who would enjoy enhanced monetary benefits with better capacity utilization. Furthermore, the high production volumes are expected to raise methanol supplies in the downstream sectors thereby causing methanol prices to stabilize in the future.