Abstract
THE first attempt to synthetise methyl alcohol by the catalytic reduction of carbon monoxide was apparently made by Sabatier and Senderens. These experiments were unsuccessful, but French research workers have persevered on the problem and the manufacture of methyl alcohol is now an accomplished fact. An accidental synthesis was carried out by the Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik in 1913, during experiments carried out to investigate the possibilities of manufacturing liquid hydrocarbons by the catalytic reduction of carbon monoxide at high temperatures and pressures. No attempt was made, however, to pursue the investigation. In 1921 Calvert claimed to have obtained an 80 per cent, yield of methyl alcohol by the action of hydrogen on water gas, and in the same year Patart, Inspecteur General des Poudres, published his first patent. A small plant was erected at Asnieres and Patart's method was successfully applied.
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Synthetic Methyl Alcohol. Nature 115, 622 (1925). https://doi.org/10.1038/115622b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/115622b0