HYDROGENOLYSIS OF METHYL FORMATE BY H-2 CO MIXTURES WITH CUO/ZNO/AL2O3 BASED METHANOL SYNTHESIS CATALYSTS/

Tenary copper-based catalysts of type CuO/ZnO/Al2O3, CuO/ZnO/Cr2O3, an d CuO/ZnO/La2O3 have been advantageously used in the hydrogenolysis of methyl and ethyl formate to methanol. The catalysts are active under mild conditions (150-185 degrees C; 5-10 MPa) both in gas-solid and in gas-liquid-solid phases with high selectivities to methanol (80-90%). The decarbonylation of the formic ester is the only side reaction, bu t the catalysts, different from other copper-based systems, do not suf fer from the presence of CO in the reaction gases. Accordingly the hyd rogenolysis may be carried out with a hydrogen feed containing CO with out any poisoning of the catalyst or decrease of the selectivity to me thanol. A preliminary screening of different copper catalysts points o ut that the insensitivity to CO might be related to the presence of ba sic sites on the catalysts.