Formaldehyde

Application: Formaldehyde as a liquid solution of 37 wt%–55 wt% is primarily

used in the production of synthetic resins in the wood industry and as feedstock
for a wide variety of industrially important Chemical compounds.
Description: Formaldehyde solutions are produced by the oxidation of methanol
with air. In the UIF process, the reaction occurs on the surface of a silver- crystal
catalyst at temperatures of 620°C– 680°C, where the methanol is dehydrated and
partly oxidized:
CH3OH → CH2O + H2
CH3OH + ½ O2 → CH2O + H2O
The methanol/water mixture, adjusted for density balance and stored in the
preparation tank, is continuously fed by pump to the metanol evaporator (1). The
required process air is sucked in by a blower via a filter and air scrubber into the
methanol evaporator.
From here, the methanol/water/air mixture enters the reactor (2) where the
conversion of methanol to formaldehyde occurs. Because the reaction is
exothermic, the required temperature is self-maintained once the ignition has
been executed.
The reaction gases emerging from catalysis contain formaldehyde, water,
nitrogen, hydrogen and carbon dioxide, as well as unconverted methanol. They
are cooled to 150°C in a waste-heat boiler directly connected to the reactor. The
amount of heat released in the boiler is suficiente for heating the methanol
evaporator. The reaction gases enter a four-stage absorption tower (3), where
absorption of formaldehyde occurs in counter-flow to an aqueous formaldehyde
solution and cold demineralized water. The final formaldehyde solution is
removed from the first absorption stage.
Waste gas from the absorption tower, with a heating value of approximately 2,000
kJ/m3, is burned in a post-connected thermal combustion unit. The released heat
can be used to produce high-pressure steam or thermal oil heating.
By recycling a part of waste gas to the reactor, formaldehyde concentrations up
to 52 wt% in the final solution can be reached.
To produce urea/formaldehyde precondensate, an aqueous urea solution, in
place of absorption water, is fed into the absorption tower.
Economics: Due to the waste-gas recycling system, the methanol content
in the formaldehyde solution can be reduced to less than 1 wt% and formic acid
to less than 90 ppm.
Typical consumption figures per 1,000 kg of formaldehyde solution (37 wt%) are:
Methanol, kg 445
Water, kg 390
Electricity, kWh 38
Water, cooling, m3 40
Licensor: Uhde Inventa-Fischer.