Oxide Technology

 

The price of methanol has a dramatic effect on formaldehyde economics, since cost for methanol feedstock represents about 75% of cash cost.

 

Compared to all the other alternatives (i.e. silver process), metal-oxide process offer unparalleled advantages: 

 

- higher yield (92-94%)

- low cash cost
- high steam production

- low MeOH content in the product 

- low sensitivity to impurities in the methanol feedstock

- environmentally friendly

- simple, reliable operation

 

Metal-oxide process has also the advantage in its ability to form urea-formaldehyde precondensate directly in the absorption column. This can be used for the production of urea-formaldehyde resins, the largest single use of formaldehyde.