Renewable dimethyl ether rDME
Dimethyl ether (DME) might also be referred to as methoxymethane, it is an organic compound, the simplest ether, an isomer of ethanol (CH3OCH3 or C2H6O) and a colourless gas. Renewable dimethyl ether or rDME is specifically produced from synthesis gas (syngas) which can originate from waste materials such as biomass through anaerobic digestion and might also be referred to as bioDME. Standard DME is produced from synthesis gas (syngas) which originates from different non-renewable sources such as coal and natural gas.
Dimethyl ether (DME) was first synthesised by Jean-Baptiste Dumas and Eugene Péligot in 1835 by distillation of methanol and sulfuric acid. The renewable alternative rDME is said to have been first produced on a commercial scale in the US in around 2020. It can produced from a wide range of renewable or waste feedstocks with a lower greenhouse gas footprint, reducing emissions by up to 85% compared to fossil fuels. It is also a useful precursor to other organic compounds and can be used as an aerosol propellant.
In 2022 the Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals discussed present and future products in the LPG industry including other molecule mixes such as DME. The note reads "Several years ago, the LPG industry introduced bioLPG i.e.LPG (C3/C4) of identical molecular composition, but of bio/renewable origin. However, the existing definition ofLPG in ADR, described as a “petroleum” product, does not reflect any more either the renewable origin of bioLPG, or the conventional LPG of natural gas origin. In addition, other molecules, blended with LPG, like dimethyl ether (DME), particularly that of renewable origin(rDME), are already present in the US market and are expected in Europe very soon. A revised definition of LPG needs to be defined and agreed."
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