Formox process
The FORMOX® process produces formaldehyde. FORMOX® is a worldwide registered trademark owned by Perstorp Specialty Chemicals AB, Sweden - Home page at www.perstorp.com
Industrially, formaldehyde is produced by catalytic oxidation of methanol. The most commonly used catalysts are silver metal or a mixture of an iron oxide with molybdenum and/or vanadium. In the more commonly used FORMOX® process using iron oxide and molybdenium and/or vanadium, methanol and oxygen react at 400°C to produce formaldehyde according to the chemical equation:
The silver-based catalyst is usually operated at a higher temperature, about 650°C. On it, two chemical reactions simultaneously produce formaldehyde: the one shown above, and the dehydrogenation reaction:
Further oxidation of the formaldehyde product during its production usually gives formic acid that is found in formaldehyde solution, found in ppm values.