DOI: https://doi.org/10.9767/jcerp.20564

Enhancing Energy Efficiency in Methanol-Based Formaldehyde Production through Heat Recovery Integration

1Department of Chemical Engineering, Universitas Diponegoro, Tembalang, Kota Semarang, Jawa Tengah 50275, Indonesia

2Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Jl. Teknik Kimia, Keputih, Kec. Sukolilo, Surabaya, Jawa Timur 60111, Indonesia

Received: 10 Dec 2025; Revised: 16 Dec 2025; Accepted: 17 Dec 2025; Available online: 28 Dec 2025; Published: 30 Dec 2025.
Editor(s): Istadi Istadi
Open Access Copyright (c) 2025 by Authors, Published by Universitas Diponegoro and BCREC Publishing Group
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Abstract

Formaldehyde is a key industrial chemical known for its high reactivity and broad applicability across sectors such as plastics, resins, textiles, and agrochemicals. Its production has evolved from early silver-catalyzed oxidation of methanol to the more efficient Formox process using iron molybdate catalysts. Despite these advancements, conventional production methods remain energy-intensive, prompting the need for sustainable alternatives. This study investigates the impact of process modification through internal heat recovery on the energy efficiency of methanol-based formaldehyde synthesis. By comparing conventional and modified process configurations, the results demonstrate that reusing reactor-generated heat to power auxiliary units significantly reduces external energy demand. The modified system achieved a 30.64% improvement in energy efficiency, underscoring the potential of heat integration strategies to enhance sustainability and reduce operational costs in formaldehyde manufacturing. Copyright © 2025 by Authors, Published by Universitas Diponegoro and BCREC Publishing Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Keywords: Formaldehyde; Methanol partial oxidation; Formox process; Energy efficiency; Heat recovery; Sustainable production

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Section: Original Research Articles
Language : EN
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