Recent Progresses on the Conversion of Syngas to Ethylene Glycol

Recent progresses on the conversion of syngas to ethylene glycol,including synthesis by ethylene,direct synthesis by syngas,coupled oxidation of syngas and synthesis by methanol and formaldehyde were introduced. Among these synthesizing routes,the synthesis by ethylene was widely investigated. Coupled oxidation of syngas was proven to enhance its economy. Other routes on the conversion of syngas to ethylene glycol still had a lot of technology difficulties to overcome. Based on the comparison of various synthesizing routes,it was suggested that the routes using methanol and formaldehyde or oxalate as intermediums should be developed according to the recent economical and technological conditions.