Carbon capture and utilization (CCU) has gained great attraction as an alternative route of producing carbon-based chemicals, which also mitigates atmospheric CO₂. This paper develops a numerical optimization model that utilizes experimental data pertaining to the CO₂ hydrogenation reaction (catalyst type, conversion, selectivity, and space velocity) to guide engineers to pick the optimal industrial scale CCU process. Four carbon conversion pathways that produce value-added chemicals are assessed: conversion into methanol, methane, carbon monoxide, and dimethyl ether. This techno-economic analysis is founded on elaborate sizing methods and process design principles of heat exchangers, compressors, reactors, and separators. Based on the collected data reported in the literature, the state-of-the-art model incorporates and assesses feed and catalyst costing, plant sizing and costing, and revenues from the produced commodity chemicals at market price. A thorough optimization analysis is conducted to determine the optimal conversion pathway subject to corresponding constraints. The objective of this problem targets cost minimization with respect to various production constraints. The results of the model show that the optimal CCU path is associated with the CO₂-to-MeOH/DME reactions, with the model almost strictly allocating the available CO₂ mass at the different production rates to processes generating these products. This result is due to the processes’ high reaction selectivity, which has been at the forefront of research in CO₂ hydrogenation, in addition to the relatively high market price of both these products. Such results reinforce the promise of George Olah's Methanol Economy. The optimization model thus presents a novel basis for a comprehensive and quantitative multi-variable CCU plant assessment, utilizing optimized carbon conversion reaction data.

碳捕获和利用（CCU）作为生产基于碳的化学物质的替代途径而获得了极大的吸引力，这也减少了大气中的CO ₂。本文开发了一个数值优化模型，该模型利用了与CO ₂有关的实验数据氢化反应（催化剂类型，转化率，选择性和空速）指导工程师选择最佳的工业规模CCU工艺。评估了产生增值化学品的四种碳转化途径：转化为甲醇，甲烷，一氧化碳和二甲醚。这项技术经济分析基于热交换器，压缩机，反应器和分离器的精巧尺寸确定方法和工艺设计原理。基于文献中报告的收集数据，最新模型结合并评估了进料和催化剂成本，工厂规模和成本以及所生产的商品化学品的市场价格收益。进行彻底的优化分析，以确定受到相应约束的最佳转化途径。该问题的目的是针对各种生产限制而使成本最小化。模型结果表明，最优CCU路径与CO相关。₂ - to -MeOH / DME反应，该模型几乎严格将可用的CO ₂质量以不同的生产率分配给生成这些产物的过程。该结果是由于这些方法的高反应选择性，以及这两种产品相对较高的市场价格，该选择性一直处于CO ₂加氢研究的最前沿。这样的结果加强了乔治·奥拉（George Olah）的甲醇经济前景。因此，优化模型为利用优化的碳转化反应数据进行全面，定量的多变量CCU工厂评估提供了新的基础。