Avaliação técnico-econômica do processo de hidrogenação seletiva de CO2 a metanol considerando os limites termodinâmicos

Abstract

Methanol is an essential industrial input with broad applications in the chemical industry. It serves as a fuel, solvent, and a critical raw material in various sectors, including the production of plastics, paints, cosmetics, automotive parts, and construction materials. In industry, methanol production traditionally follows the syngas route, a catalytic process that converts a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. Despite its extensive application, this method depends on fossil fuels, resulting in significant greenhouse gas emissions. With increasing environmental concerns, more sustainable alternatives are gaining prominence, such as the use of CO₂ captured from industrial processes. This resource can help reduce the carbon footprint, promoting methanol production aligned with environmental goals. Therefore, considering the environmental issues related to fossil fuels used in industrial methanol production, this study aims to conduct a techno-economic evaluation of methanol production through selective CO₂ hydrogenation, a sustainable and less harmful alternative compared to the traditional syngas route. Methanol production simulations were performed using Aspen Plus V11 software, considering different scenarios by varying conversion, selectivity, and process pressure, always respecting the thermodynamic limits of the reaction. Based on the generated scenarios, ranges indicating the potential economic viability of the process were defined using Aspen Process Economic Analyzer (APEA) V11 software. This enables comparisons between current catalyst conversion and selectivity values and the targets required to achieve potential economic viability of the process. This analysis helps identify the technological improvements needed, particularly regarding catalysts, to make the process feasible. In the analysis conducted, the processes operating at 50 and 100 bar demonstrated economic viability from 35% conversion with 95% selectivity and 45% conversion with 90% selectivity, respectively.