Closing the Gap in Formic Acid Reforming

Formic acid (FA) has the potential to become the renewable platform chemical in the future chemical industry. To achieve this potential, FA and its conversion processes should be competitive with the traditional platform chemicals and processes. A reaction kinetic study and a process conceptual design of FA reforming to CO are conducted. The optimized process is characteristic of high conversion, selectivity, and overall exergy efficiency, which outperforms the conventional steam methane reformer that is limited by its thermodynamic equilibrium and consequently displays lower overall exergy efficiency. CO generated from FA reforming can be used as the component of 'renewable syngas' that seems to be attractive in consideration of some important industrial aspects.