The professional team at R3 Sciences are developing a unique GTL process engineered to maximize the effectiveness of its unique (proprietary) catalysts in a (patented and patent pending) synthesis gas - catalytic reaction. The process is able to make use of quality synthesis gas produced from either coal, natural gas, or biomass. Once the synthesis gas enters the process it undergoes gas conditioning steps to remove certain unwanted gas elements, preventing those elements from interfering with the catalytic reaction. The conditioned synthesis gas enters the R3 G2M reactor where it immediately undergoes a chemical conversion into methanol. The synthesis gas is consumed in the reactor with the remaining nitrogen leaving the reactor as a major component of the tail gas. The nitrogen is the residual inert gas from the air component used in producing the synthesis gas via the auto thermal reformer.
The R3 Sciences GTL process primarily produces methanol, we generally refer to our process as GTL and can also be referred to as G2M (Gas To Methanol). The R3 Sciences reactor does not use a F-T type catalyst.
Driving the science and development of the R3 G2M process is a team of scientist, engineers and industry professionals forming a broad range of technical capabilities. The process achievements and inventions developed are proving capable of reaching a high degree of selective synthesis gas conversion with the smallest carbon foot print possible.
Methanol is a valuable liquid energy resource. Methanol is considered by many to be a building block to other fuel and chemical intermediates. For example, one additional process step to dehydrate the methanol molecule, produces a diesel fuel compatible dimethyl ether (DME) product. In order to classify the methanol product by source we generally refer to coal and natural gas produced methanol as a petro-methanol, and when produced from biomass we refer to the product as bio-methanol. In either case, a cleaner burning methanol fuel is produced which can be easily transported via tank truck or railcar to an end user.