Selective Ammoxidation of Methanol to Hydrogen Cyanide over Silica-Supported FeMo Oxide Catalysts: Experiments and Kinetic Modeling

We investigated the ammoxidation of methanol for the production of hydrogen cyanide. Silica-supported FeMo oxide catalysts achieved above 98% conversion of methanol, with more than 90% selectivity for the ammoxidation reaction product, HCN. The oxidation products, CO and CO2, were formed with a molar selectivity less than 10%, depending on the operating conditions. The kinetics of the ammoxidation of methanol were investigated in a fixed-bed tubular reactor at 320–445 °C and atmospheric pressure. A Mars–van Krevelen model accounted for the ammoxidation of methanol as well as the formation of CO and CO2. The Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm was used to estimate the model parameters, which were statistically significant and fit the experimental data well. The model can be used to simulate and guide the operation of the industrial reactor.