GAS-L: Ethanol vs Methanol

[Reedtb2@cs.com]

Dear All:

There continues to be confusion between ethanol and methanol.  

Ethanol can be made easily from corn and with great difficulty from the cellulose in most biomass.  Typical costs $1.50-$3 per gallon.  

Methanol is easily made from synthesis gas which is made from biomass, natural gas, coal etc. by partial oxidation to CO and H2.  

    CO + 2H2 ==> CH3OH

Typical cost $0.50 - $1 per gallon, but made in high tech plants at high pressure with a highly specific catalyst.  

Ethanol can also be made from synthesis gas, but at much greater expense.  Methanol and ethanol are both clean and efficient (in high compression engines) burning fuels.  Brazil has many 90 proof alchohol cars in its fleet but is now considering methanol from sugar cane bagasse. 

So the pragmatists of the world still favor methanol as the ideal replacement for gasoline.  

FYI          TOM REED             BEF GASWORKS
In a message dated 1/9/02 12:46:20 PM Mountain Standard Time, LINVENT@aol.com writes:


> Dear Gaslisters,
>     Stranded natural gas has been proposed for various types of petrochemical 
> and other processes to make use of it. Shell operates a plant which converts 
> it to fuel oil, gasoline and other products. Several companies offer various 
> technologies to do the same, but the markets and technical developments have 
> not been realized. Several engineering companies offer off the shelf plants 
> for natural gas to methanol production. Economics is generally the limiting 
> factor. 
>
>
> Sincerely,
> Leland T. Taylor
> President
> Thermogenics Inc. 
> 7100-2nd St. NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87107 
> phone 505-761-1454 fax 505-761-1456
> Attached files are zipped and can be decompressed with HREF="http://www.aladdinsys.com/expander/">www.aladdinsys.com/expander/