Skip to main content

Formaldehyde synthesis

Formaldehyde is used in numerous applications as an organic base material for the synthesis of various end products. In addition to the chemical industry, formaldehyde is also often found in the pharmaceutical industry. Typical synthesis products include resins, dyes, fertilizers, disinfectants, pesticides, and medications.

Formaldehyde is produced by the oxidation of methanol. The two most important production processes offer different advantages and disadvantages. Due to higher efficiency and lower residual methanol content, the silver process has now replaced the metal oxide process. However, more frequent catalyst regeneration is advisable here.

With the robust LiquiSonic® measurement technology the synthesis can be monitored inline and the methanol and formaldehyde content can be precisely determined.

Gif Formaldehyde with controller Liquisonic
Application of LiquiSonic® in formaldehyde synthesis

Application

Formaldehyde is mainly produced on a large scale using the silver process. Methanol gas is mixed with air and passed over silver electrodes, which act catalytically. This produces formaldehyde gas, which is precipitated with water and collected as a liquid.

The überschüssige Methanol wird zurückgewonnen und dem Prozess wieder zugeführt, wobei ein Rest von < 1 m% im Formaldehyd verbleibt um es zu stabilisieren. Die LiquiSonic® measurement technology is used to isolate the finished intermediate product and ensure the quality of the end product. Elaborate laboratory measurements, which provide analysis values only with a time delay, are eliminated. Process efficiency can be derived from the precisely determined inline formaldehyde and methanol concentrations.

Installation

The LiquiSonic® measurement technology is installed directly in transport lines to determine the concentrations of the intermediate or end product inline. The LiquiSonic® Controller 40 is connected to the LiquiSonic® ultrasonic sensor and the measuring unit for the second physical quantity (density). The controller displays the concentration of formaldehyde and methanol in the main view.

Typical measuring range:
Concentration Methanol: 0 - 5 m%
Concentration Formaldehyde: 40 - 60 m%
Temperature: 60 - 80 °C

LiquiSonic® 40 process analysis with sonic velocity and density, formaldehyde synthesis

Customer benefits

The Measurement system LiquiSonic® 40 enables concentration measurement in a 3-component mixture by capturing two physical quantities. Using sound velocity and density, methanol and formaldehyde can be monitored inline.

The robust sensor design without moving parts ensures reliable process analysis in the long term. All measurement data is stored in the data memory for the long term, so that it is available for audits and process disturbance analysis, for example.

Further advantages for the user are:

  • Optimal plant control through real-time information about the process state
  • Precise methanol content in the final product
  • Detection of process disturbances in seconds
  • Savings in maintenance and energy (steam)
  • Reduction of sampling and manual analysis

Describe your application - we will contact you for technical coordination!
Together we will clarify boundary conditions and possible solutions.

* Mandatory fields

Details

* Mandatory fields
Back