formaldehyde - Sciencemadness Dot Org

FORMA IDE H YD E PROD V C T10 X 7
The apparatus finally developed by Mercklin and Losekann is shown in
Figure S 10 . It will be noted that the lower two-thirds of the reaction vessel
is provided with vertical copper rods extending down into the methanol
and between the upper extremities of which is packed the contact mass,
spirals of copper gauze. The catalyst was heated from outside ports which
could be closed after the unit was in operation. Air drawn into the apparatus
carried methanol vapors over the catalyst, whence the reaction
products passed to the condensing system which comprised a glass condenser
and several wooden scrubbers. It was possible to produce 30 per cent
formaldehyde solution at a rate of 50 kg per 24 hours in this equipment.
IMereklin and Losekann eventually had twelve such units in operation.
Other concerns started formaldehyde production around 1895, or perhaps
even earlier. The better known manufacturers were: Verein fur Chemische
Industrie and Hugo Blank at Hoherlehme, near Berlin, in Germany;
Firma Dr. Sieber at Attisholz and Konstanzer Holzverkohlungs-Industrie,
A. GJ; in Switzerland, MercHIn and Losekann went out of business in
1901. A few years later the firm of F. H. Meyer in Hannover-Hainholz,
Germany, developed an improved formaldehyde unit 37 based on the work
reported hy Orlov 80,31 . In time, the Hokverkohhmgs-Industrie, A. G.,
manufacturer of methanol, also became one of the big producers of formaldehyde.
In addition to the above concerns, large dyestuff companies which
later amalgamated as the L G. Farbenindustrie manufactured formaldehyde
for their own consumption.
Industrial research on the manufacture of formaldehyde was initiated in
189S by the firm of Hugo Blank under the direction of H. Finkenbeiner and
0. Blank. Investigations extending over a period of several years covered
the preparation of catalysts, temperatures of operation, time of reaction,
and absorption of product. The technical formaldehyde manufacturing
unit developed in the early nineteen hundreds as a result of this work was
later duplicated in France, Belgium, and the United States. With this
installation, air was drawn into a copper vaporizer containing methanol
held at a fixed temperature. The vapors formed were passed through a
preheater, and then through a tube containing a heated spiral of copper
gauze. To start the reaction the contact tube was heated; during the reaction
it was sufficiently air-cooled to prevent fusion of the contact mass.
Scrubbing equipment comprised a bank of glass gas-washing bottles in
conjunction with a coil condenser. This unit produced approximately 230
pounds per day of 40 per cent formaldehyde.
A comprehensive study of the oxidation of methanol was made by various
investigators during the early period of commercial development. Trillat 36
published several articles dealing with the state of division of the catalyst,
its temperature and composition. Improvements in operation and equipment
were also reported by Klar and Schulze 2 ^ Brochet 9 , and Orlov 30 ' 31 .