Methods for Industrial Production of Formic Acid

Formic acid is a common organic acid, widely used in chemical industry, medicine, pesticides and other fields. There are many industrial processes for the preparation of formic acid, among which the most commonly used are methanol oxidation and carbon dioxide hydrogenation.

Methanol Oxidation Method. This method is to oxidize methanol and oxygen under the action of catalyst to produce formic acid and water. This method has the advantages of simple process, easy access to raw materials and high product purity, and is one of the most commonly used methods in the industrial production of formic acid at present.

Carbon Dioxide Hydrogenation Method. This method is to hydrogenate carbon dioxide and hydrogen under the action of catalyst to produce formic acid and water. This method has the advantages of wide source of raw materials, environmental protection and energy saving, but due to the harsh reaction conditions and complex process, it is rarely used in industrial production.

In addition to the above two methods, there are some other formic acid preparation methods, such as formate hydrolysis method, methyl anhydride hydrolysis method, etc. However, the application of these methods is limited due to the complicated process and high cost of raw materials.

In general, methanol oxidation is the most commonly used method in the industrial production of formic acid.