BASF has developed a carbon dioxide (CO2) neutral process to produce methanol and will apply for a patent, the Germany chemicals major said on Friday. While the method has only been tested in a pilot plant at BASF’s subsidiary hte GmbH in Heidelberg, Germany, the chemicals major was confident that industrial applications could guarantee CO2-free methanol. BASF’s greener process for production of methanol has been included under the company’s so-called Carbon Management Program.The producer is confident the new methanol production process will open up a “new chapter” for the basic chemical.Methanol is primarily used to produce formaldehyde, methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) and acetic acid. Smaller amounts go into production of dimethyl terephthalate (DMT), methyl methacrylate (MMA), chloromethanes, methylamines, glycol methyl ethers, and fuels applications such dimethyl ether (DME), biodiesel and the direct blending into gasoline.
