July 1, 2019 – Skyhaven Systems was awarded a contract from the Department of Energy to develop a new process for converting natural gas to acetic acid. Worldwide, large increases of natural gas production from reserves and from the production of oil have created a substantial energy and chemical source that may be used to power our economy and produce many of our products. With natural gas having a relatively low cost, the past few decades have seen an increased interest in processing natural gas to produce products rather than use oil feed stocks. One such product is acetic acid, an important liquid chemical used by the plastics, textiles, paper, paints, and adhesives industries. Traditionally acetic acid is produced using methane in a three-step process that is energy and capital intensive. A new chemical reaction process has been shown by Skyhaven Systems to heterogeneously react methane in natural gas directly to acetic acid using low temperature and pressure conditions, and without using hazardous or toxic feedstocks such as carbon monoxide. With this new synthesis process, acetic acid can be produced at lower cost than traditional methods, as well as enable acetic acid to be generated on-site at natural gas flare sites where its liquid state readily enables it be economically stored and distributed.