Síntese de metanol via hidrogenação do dióxido de carbono: modelagem e otimização no simulador DWSIM

Abstract

As one of the main causes of the greenhouse effect and global warming, carbon dioxide (CO2) must have its emissions progressively controlled over the years. In this context, it is interesting that it is used as a raw material for obtaining products of commercial interest, such as methanol. In this paper, a simulation of a methanol production process from the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide was performed, using the DWSIM simulator, which is an open-source, free and multiplatform software. In the simulation, some variables were chosen to be optimized in order to make the process more competitive against the traditional methanol synthesis route and to study which parameters influence the process viability. The production costs of the ton of methanol produced via hydrogenation obtained ranged from U$ 325 to U$ 1031 depending on the hydrogen source. Strategically, the direct hydrogenation of CO2 has the potential to be used as an attached process to chemical and industrial plants that have carbon dioxide as a by-product. The main challenges are the costs of obtaining hydrogen, the relatively higher energy costs and the search for efficient and viable catalysts.