(422a) Developing a Systematic Approach for the Collaboration between Process Systems Engineering and Catalysis to Accelerate the Improvements of Chemical Processes

A considerable number of chemical processes nowadays involve some sort of catalytic steps, where catalysts are utilized to convert reactants into intermediates or final products. In some cases, catalysts play a pivotal role in the selection and design of a chemical process, which in turn could lead to significant changes in the economic performance of that process. Therefore, catalysts research and development is of a primary concern to the process systems engineering community, however, there is no systematic approach to identify areas at which catalysts can significantly improve the outcomes of a chemical process. This work is aimed at proposing a systematic approach where catalysis and process systems engineering scientific communities can join efforts in order to accelerate the development of chemical processes. To illustrate an application of the proposed approach, a methanol from shale gas process is taken as a case study. While this process is well-established, the conventional catalyst (Cu/ZnO/Al₂O₃) used for the conversion of syngas to methanol takes place under high operating pressure and have low single pass conversion, leading to higher costs associated with the process. A techno-economic assessment is conducted to identify the most influential characteristics of a future methanol synthesis catalyst that could significantly enhance the process’s economic performance.