Talk:Methanol reformer

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A fact from Methanol reformer appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 6 December 2006. The text of the entry was as follows:

Did you know... that a methanol reformer can replace a hydrogen-gas tank in a fuel cell vehicle by catalytically producing fuel from the poisonous liquid?

A record of the entry may be seen at Wikipedia:Recent additions/2006/December.

Wikipedia

Steam Reformer

Someone knowledgeable could help out by relating this article to Steam reforming. The scope of the latter article is unclear to me. Melchoir 17:30, 2 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Another Disadvantage?

Wouldn't another disadvantage be the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere? Peter Delmonte 19:46, 5 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah, I was going to point that out too. But in theory to use it in a fuel cell, they'd have to separate the hydrogen from the CO2 right? So you'd think they could maybe store the CO2...I dunno. --75.73.153.252 23:27, 5 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Re "Steam Reforming", this is a process commerically used extensively to convert natural gas, methane, into a hydrogen rich gas, which in turn is used to produce ammonia, methanol and other chemicals. The methanol reformer converts methanol in a hydrogen rich gas. Both reactions take place at high temperature and pressure over a catalyst. Carbon diooxide is a by product of both reactions, and no-one has yet found a economical way to dispose of the CO2 except to expel it in the atmosphere.

Your comment about the CO2 discharge in methanol reformins is, in fact, doubly true as CO2 is produced in making methanol (the most commercially feasible way) and again when the methanol is reformed.

Chemistry

Hello,

There is some improved chemistry considerations under methanol where they discuss the steps of the reaction. The equation given here is a simplification that neglects the byproduct of toxic carbon monoxide that occurs if the reaction is not forced to completion by removal of methanol from the reaction, which is important to consider. Furthermore i think the comment "this is disadvantageous because of CO2 production" is somewhat erroneous as the proposed method of hydrogen production is by using reforming to produce the H2 - which produces the hydrogen for the aforementioned fuel cells. Just because the CO2 is not being produced at the consumer level doesnt mean that it is not being produced, although it is worthwile stating that H2 can be manufactured without CO2 production, but this is difficult in large quantities, due to energy considerations.

Thanks for reading that minor rant User A1 01:36, 6 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]