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fasil process

The fasil^® process produces formaldehyde.

fasil logo

fasil (formaldehyde silver) is an industrial chemical process for production of formaldehyde from methanol. The process utilizes a silver catalyst and is one of the primary methods used to produce formaldehyde on a large scale.

Formaldehyde is one of the most important building blocks in the chemical industry today, used as an intermediate to produce a wide range of important chemicals for our modern society, crucial to support the world’s growing population.

fasil is a registered trademark owned by Dynea AS . Dynea has over 60 years of experience in formaldehyde production and plant design, contributing to advancements in formaldehyde process technology. Dynea licenses its Silver Catalyst Formaldehyde technology (fasil), which focuses on safety, energy efficiency, and high steam export. This technology is designed to minimize operating costs while meeting industrial standards.

History

The fasil process is an industrial method for production of formaldehyde using a silver catalyst. Dynea started to produce formaldehyde in Norway in 1947 and has developed the process since then. Dynea has successfully installed more than 40 fasil formaldehyde plants worldwide.

A map showing licensed fasil plants around the world

Over time, the fasil process has been refined to improve efficiency and align with evolving environmental regulations for efficient industrial production.

Chemical Reactions

In the fasil process, formaldehyde is synthesized through the catalytic oxidation of methanol over a silver catalyst. The primary reactions are partial oxidation of methanol (1) and methanol dehydrogenation (2)

1: ${\text{CH}}_{3}{\text{OH}}+{\frac {1}{2}}{\text{O}}_{2}\rightarrow {\text{CH}}_{2}{\text{O}}+{\text{H}}_{2}{\text{O}}$

2: ${\text{CH}}_{3}{\text{OH}}\rightarrow {\text{CH}}_{2}{\text{O}}+{\text{H}}_{2}$

This exothermic reaction is facilitated by a silver catalyst at high temperatures, typically around 600-650°C. The hydrogen-rich tail gas is burned in a boiler or thermal oxidizer producing high quality “green steam” to meet the environmental requirements for emission to the atmosphere.

Process Description

Methanol is the primary feedstock for formaldehyde production.

Reaction Conditions

Methanol and oxygen are mixed at a stoichiometric ratio in a vaporizer, and passed over a silver catalyst bed in an adiabatic reactor. The reaction conditions are carefully controlled to optimize the yield of formaldehyde and minimize by-products. Due to the methanol/oxygen ratio, the reaction gas mixture is above the Upper Flammability Limit (UFL) for methanol/air mixtures and therefore inherently safe.

Reactor Design

The reactor used in this process is a fixed-bed reactor, where the process gas is quickly cooled down in a special waste heat boiler to reduce byproducts. The excess energy from the exothermic chemical reaction is used to generate steam.

Formaldehyde Recovery

The formaldehyde produced is separated from unreacted methanol and byproducts through absorption in water, using a specially developed selective absorber for the Dynea fasil process.

Key Features of the fasil Process

A Safe and Efficient Design

The fasil process operates with safety features such as running modes outside explosion limits and the exclusion of hot oil. The process relies solely on water and steam, reducing fire risks. Additionally, all O2 is converted in the reactor. Oxygen is therefore excluded from the absorber to enhance safety and improve product quality. The silver catalyst used in the fasil process can be replaced quickly, normally within a single day. The used silver is regenerated through an electrolytic process with minimal material loss. After regeneration the catalyst can be reused. This results in high operational regularity and low downtime per year due to changing of catalyst.

High Steam Export

The fasil process generates approximately 800 kg of steam per ton of formaldehyde produced (based on a 37% solution), including energy from tail gas combustion. The export pressure can be adjusted within a range of 12 to 21 bar(g).

Lowest Operating Costs on the Market

The fasil process consumes approximately 25-32 kWh of electricity per ton of formaldehyde produced (at a 37% concentration), depending on product specifications. This efficiency contributes to the fasil process having the lowest operating costs in the market.

Flexible and Tailored Plant Design

The fasil technology offers plant designs ranging from 80-1640 TPD (37% formaldehyde). The final formaldehyde solution concentration can be adjusted from 37% to 55%, with low methanol content (<1% w/w) and low formic acid content (<100 ppm).

Applications

Formaldehyde is widely used as an intermediate in the production of resins, plastics, and other important chemicals used in our modern society. It is also an important intermediate in the synthesis of other chemicals such as pentaerythritol and hexamine.

fasil application flow chart