Analysis of Safety in the Partial Oxidation of Methane to Methanol: Evaluation of Flammability with Different Oxidizing Agents

• Grant number: 23/11946-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2023
• End date: October 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Process Industries
• Principal Investigator: José Maria Correa Bueno
• Grantee: André Luis Ribeiro Garcia
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/01258-5 - Novel chemical catalytic and photocatalytic processes for the direct conversion of methane and CO2 to products, AP.TEM

Abstract

The partial oxidation of methane to methanol is a promising route, but the safety of the process is a crucial concern due to the inherent flammability of the reagents and products involved. The aim of this study is to evaluate the flammability during operation of the methane partial oxidation reaction system, using different oxidizing agents (O2 and CO2), in order to contribute to a safer and more effective process. The flammability limit of the gas (also known as the explosion limit) and the limit oxygen concentration (LOC) are fundamental parameters for predicting fires, assessing the possibility of explosion and designing protection systems, and have been widely used as quantitative indicators for assessing the risk of explosion related to the use of these fuels