Carbon Monoxide Production

and Purification
Technologies
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April 1998
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

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I SUMMARY 1
A. TECHNOLOGY 1
B. ECONOMICS 6
C. COMMERCIAL ANALYSIS 7

II INTRODUCTION 10

III CARBON MONOXIDE SOURCES/PRODUCTION 15

A. STEAM REFORMING 15
B. PARTIAL OXIDATION 19
C. AUTOTHERMAL REFORMING 23
D. COAL GASIFICATION 25

IV CARBON MONOXIDE PURIFICATION 27

A. INTRODUCTION 27
B. CRYOGENIC PURIFICATION 28
1. Liquid Methane Wash Process 29
2. Partial Condensation Process 31
C. PRESSURE SWING ADSORPTION 34
D. MEMBRANE SEPARATION 36
E. SALT SOLUTION ABSORPTION 37
1. Copper/Ammonium Salt Absorption Process 37
2. COSORB Process 38
F. STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION 39

V PRODUCTION COST 40
A. BASIS 40
B. SYNGAS AND CARBON MONOXIDE PRODUCTION COST 41
C. SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS 49

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VI CARBON MONOXIDE USES 55

A. ACETIC ACID 55
B. PHOSGENE 56
1. Toluene Diisocyanate (TDI) 56
2. Methylene Diphenylene Diisocyanate (MDI) 59
3. Polycarbonate (PC) 61
(a) Phosgene Route 61
(b) Nonphosgene Route 61
C. FORMIC ACID 64
D. DIMETHYL FORMAMIDE (DMF) 66
E. ETHYLENE/CARBON MONOXIDE COPOLYMERS 66
F. NEO/PIVALIC ACID 67
G. PROPIONIC ACID 67
H. TRIMELLITIC ANHYDRIDE/PYROMELLITIC ANHYDRIDE 68

VII CARBON MONOXIDE SUPPLY/DEMAND ANALYSIS 70

A. CARBON MONOXIDE CONSUMPTION FACTORS 70
B. IMPLIED CARBON MONOXIDE CAPACITY 70
1. Acetic Acid/Acetic Anhydride 71
2. TDI/MDI 72
3. Polycarbonate 74
4. Phosgene for Specialty Chemicals 75
5. Specialty Carbon Monoxide Applications 75
6. Summary of Implied Carbon Monoxide Capacity 76
C. CARBON MONOXIDE DEMAND FORECAST 78
1. Acetic Acid 78
2. TDI 79
3. MDI/PMDI 79
4. Polycarbonate 81

REFERENCES 82

PERP TITLE INDEX 83

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 TABLES

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Table I.A.1 Characteristic Syngas Compositions 2

Table I.B.1 U.S. Gulf Coast Syngas Production Cost Estimate,3rd Qtr 1997 6
Table I.B.2 U.S. Gulf Coast Carbon Monoxide Production Cost Estimate,
3rd Qtr 1997 7
Table I.C.1 Carbon Monoxide Consumption Factors in Organic Chemical
Production 8
Table II.A.1 Characteristic Syngas Compositions 11

Table III.D.1 Characteristics of Commercial Coal Gasifers 26

Table IV.A.1 Typical Compositions of Carbon Monoxide Sources 28

Table IV.C.1 Specifications of Carbon Monoxide/PSA Commercial Plant 34
Table IV.D.1 Typical Gas Compositions for a One Stage Membrane
Separation of Syngas 36

Table V.A.1 U.S. Gulf Coast Raw Material and Utility Costs, 3rd Qtr 1997 41
Table V.B.1 U.S. Gulf Coast Syngas Production Cost Estimate, 3rd Qtr 1997 42
Table V.B.2 Cost Estimate of Synthesis Gas (3:1) via Steam Methane
Reforming 44
Table V.B.3 Cost Estimate of Synthesis Gas (1.7:1) via Partial Oxidation 45
Table V.B.4 U.S. Gulf Coast Carbon Monoxide Production Cost Estimate,
3rd Qtr 1997 46
Table V.B.5 Cost Estimate of Carbon Monoxide Production via Cryogenic
Separation of 3:1 Syngas from SMR 47
Table V.B.6 Cost Estimate of Carbon Monoxide Production via Cryogenic
Separation of 1.7:1 Syngas from POX 48

Table VII.A.1 Carbon Monoxide Consumption Factors in Organic Chemical

Production, 1997 70
Table VII.B.1 Implied Carbon Monoxide Capacity to Satisfy Acetic Acid
Capacity, 1997 71

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Table VII.B.2 Implied Carbon Monoxide Capacity to Satisfy TDI Capacity, 1997 72
Table VII.B.3 Implied Carbon Monoxide Capacity to Satisfy MDI Capacity, 1997 73
Table VII.B.4 Implied Carbon Monoxide Capacity to Satisfy Polycarbonate
Capacity, 1997 74
Table VII.B.5 Implied Carbon Monoxide Capacity to Satisfy Phosgene Capacity
for Use in Specialty Chemical Production, 1997 75
Table VII.B.6 Capacities for Specialty Carbon Monoxide Applications, 1997 76
Table VII.C.1 Acetic Acid Production/Carbon Monoxide Demand by
Region, 1995-2005 78
Table VII.C.2 TDI Production/Carbon Monoxide Demand by Region, 1995-2005 79
Table VII.C.3 MDI/PMDI Production/Carbon Monoxide Demand by
Region, 1995-2005 80
Table VII.C.4 Polycarbonate Production/Carbon Monoxide Demand
by Region, 1995-2005 81

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 FIGURES

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Figure I.C.1 Implied Carbon Monoxide Triregional Capacity Needed to

Satisfy Existing Capacity of Carbon Monoxide Based Organic
Chemicals, 1997 9

Figure III.A.1 Steam Methane Reforming 17

Figure III.B.1 Partial Oxidation of Methane 21
Figure III.C.1 Autothermal Reforming 24

Figure IV.B.1 Carbon Monoxide Recovery by Cryogenic Liquid Methane Wash 30

Figure IV.B.2 Carbon Monoxide Recovery by Cryogenic Partial Condensation 33
Figure IV.C.1 Carbon Monoxide Recovery by PSA Separation 35

Figure V.C.1 Effect of Natural Gas Price on Syngas Production Cost, U.S. Gulf
Coast, 3rd Qtr 1997 50
Figure V.C.2 Effect of Natural Gas Price on Carbon Monoxide Production
Cost + ROI, U.S. Gulf Coast, 3rd Qtr 1997 50
Figure V.C.3 Effect of Oxygen Price on Syngas Production Cost,
U.S. Gulf Coast, 3rd Qtr 1997 51
Figure V.C.4 Effect of Oxygen Price on Carbon Monoxide Production Cost
+ ROI, U.S. Gulf Coast, 3rd Qtr 1997 51
Figure V.C.5 Effect of Plant Size on Syngas Production Cost,
U.S. Gulf Coast, 3rd Qtr 1997 53
Figure V.C.6 Effect of Plant Size on Carbon Monoxide Production Cost + ROI,
U.S. Gulf Coast, 3rd Qtr 1997 53
Figure V.C.7 Effect of Byproduct Hydrogen Value on Carbon Monoxide
Production Cost + ROI, U.S. Gulf Coast, 3rd Qtr 1997 54

Figure VII.B.1 Implied Carbon Monoxide Triregional Capacity Needed to Satisfy

Existing Capacity of Carbon Monoxide Based Organic
Chemicals, 1997 77

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