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Core Technology

Research and Development of Low-Carbon Mixed Alcohol Synthesis Technology

Release Date：2019-12-19

In terms of energy reserves, China is rich in coal but poor in oil, making the efficient utilization of coal resources crucial for ensuring the country’s energy supply. Converting coal into syngas (a mixture of CO and H₂) and then synthesizing alcohol fuels through catalytic processes is a technical approach for effectively utilizing low-grade coal. The low-carbon alcohols produced contain neither aromatic compounds nor sulfur, and can be used as clean liquid fuels and basic chemical feedstocks, offering broad application prospects.


Low-carbon mixed alcohols are liquid mixtures composed of C1–C6 alcohols that can be used directly as fuel or as octane enhancers for gasoline. With high octane ratings and excellent miscibility with gasoline, they serve as effective gasoline additives without the adverse effects associated with methanol-blended gasoline, such as swelling, durability corrosion, and formaldehyde emissions. In addition to methanol, low-carbon mixed alcohols can be separated to yield higher alcohols such as ethyl, propyl, butyl, and amyl alcohols. These serve as important intermediates in the production of bulk chemicals such as pharmaceuticals, plasticizers, and polyesters, possessing high economic value and a broader application market than methanol.

Against the backdrop of increasingly tight crude oil supplies and a persistently sluggish market for methanol-based alternative fuels, the technology for producing low-carbon mixed alcohols from coal-based synthesis gas is expected to open up a diversified product pathway to reduce dependence on petroleum, mitigate market risks associated with methanol, and produce new clean fuels and high-value-added alcohol-based chemicals.

The company, in collaboration with Zhejiang University of Technology, has jointly developed a novel reactor, catalyst, and supporting technology for producing low-carbon mixed alcohols from coal-based synthesis gas. This technology is applied to the retrofitting of single-alcohol or mixed-alcohol plants, enabling the production of C₂–C₆ mixed alcohols in addition to methanol. With a high yield of C₂+ alcohols, this approach enhances the enterprise’s risk-resilience, increases the value of synthesis gas utilization, and improves the company’s economic benefits.