Protocol to operate a large-scale CO₂ hydrogenation process for formic acid production

Area of Science:

• Chemical Engineering
• Sustainable Chemistry

Background:

• Carbon dioxide (CO2) utilization is crucial for sustainability.
• Formic acid is a valuable product derived from CO2.
• Developing efficient CO2 conversion technologies is a key research area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a protocol for designing and operating a pilot-scale formic acid production plant.
• To outline essential process specifications for CO2 hydrogenation to formic acid.
• To provide a roadmap for scaling up CO2 utilization for formic acid production.

Main Methods:

• Design and operation of a 10 kg/day pilot-scale plant for CO2 hydrogenation.
• Identification of critical process parameters for stable operation.
• Development of strategies to prevent corrosion and formic acid decomposition.

Main Results:

• Successful demonstration of a pilot-scale formic acid production process.
• Established essential specifications for plant operation and control.
• Identified key challenges and solutions for corrosion and decomposition.

Conclusions:

• The developed protocol enables efficient pilot-scale production of formic acid from CO2.
• The findings support the further scale-up and commercialization of CO2 hydrogenation technology.
• This work contributes to advancing CO2 utilization strategies for sustainable chemical production.