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Methanol
production using
steam methane reforming
Johnson Matthey is one of the world’s leading methanol technology providers, with over half of the world’s
licensed methanol plants based on our DAVY™ technology.
Our flowsheet for producing methanol is based on three key steps:
Reforming – converting natural gas to synthesis gas (syngas – CO, CO2 & H2)
Synthesis – converting syngas to methanol (CH3OH)
Distillation – product purification
We have developed a suite of technology options to deliver methanol processes that are optimized to best
serve our clients’ needs.
Methanol production using steam methane reforming
This DAVY™ methanol process uses a steam methane reformer (SMR) to generate syngas. A
methanol synthesis step follows, employing one of our methanol converters.
Johnson Matthey have designed plants based on this process with capacities from 300t/d up to 5,000t/d.
Johnson Matthey’s DAVY methanol process is based upon a steam methane reformer followed by a
methanol synthesis loop.
Process feedstock
The process feedstock is natural gas, which is composed mainly of methane (CH4), but also contains
higher hydrocarbons and sulphur impurities.
Feedstock pre‐treatment
Firstly, the feed gas is desulphurized and saturated with steam. A pre‐reforming step follows, in which
heavier hydrocarbons break down into lighter components by reaction with the added steam.
This process may be summarized as follows:
Steam reforming
The pre‐reformed natural gas and steam proceed to the SMR, passing downwards through vertical, catalyst‐
filled tubes and reacting to form a mixture containing syngas, residual methane and water in the form of
steam.
This process may be summarized as follows:
Exiting the SMR, the syngas stream further cools in a series of heat exchangers to recover heat and remove
water by condensation, before proceeding to methanol synthesis.
Methanol synthesis
The syngas is cooled and compressed before passing to the methanol synthesis step, in which it reacts over a
fixed catalyst bed to form methanol
This process may be summarized as follows:
As the conversion reaction is limited by equilibrium per pass through the reactor, a simple loop
arrangement recirculates the unreacted syngas back to the methanol converter.
Distillation
The crude methanol is distilled to the required purity. This process recovers light by‐products which can be
used as fuel in the reformer. Ethanol and butanol (together known as fusel oil) and water are also removed.
The information contained within this document was previously published on a former DAVYTM website.
Information contained in this publication or as otherwise supplied to Users is believed to be accurate and correct at time of going to
press, and is given in good faith, but it is for the User to satisfy itself of the suitability of the Product for its own particular purpose.
Johnson Matthey plc (JM) gives no warranty as the fitness of the Product for any particular purpose and any implied warranty or
condition (statutory or otherwise) is excluded except to the extent that exclusion is prevented by law. JM accepts no liability for loss
or damage (other than that arising from death or personal injury caused by JM’s negligence or by a defective Product, if proved),
resulting from reliance on this information. Freedom under Patent, Copyright and Designs cannot be assumed.
Johnson Matthey Davy Technologies Limited, Registered Office 5th Floor 25 Farringdon Street London EC4A 4AB Registered in
England No. 635311