Higher Alcohol Synthesis

It has been known for many years that it is possible to produce mixtures of methanol and higher alcohols from synthesis gas by alkali promotion of the methanol synthesis catalysts and by appropriate modification of the reaction conditions [l]. From 1927 to 1945 plants were in operation in the United States and Germany, that were dismantled with the coming of different feedstocks and the necessity of obtaining pure alcohols for chemical use. In the last decade the chemical and petroleum industry has shown a renewed and growing interest in the use of mixtures of methanol and higher aliphatic alcohols. The original goal in the late '70s was mainly to reduce oil dependence by producing synthetic components for gasoline blends. More recently the trend to lead phase-down due to environmental protection has focused the attention on the product performances of such alcohol mixtures as high octane blending stock for gasoline. It has been shown that the addition of higher alcohols to methanol increases the water tolerance in respect to phase separation, reduces the fuel volatility and the vapor lock tendency, and also results in higher volumetric heating values.