TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - CHEMICAL ENGINEERING - Preferred System: The absorbent comprises a mixture of methanol and water.The scrubber is further configured to operate as a condenser.The absorbent is passed through the scrubber to remove methanol, water, carbon dioxide, and/or formaldehyde from the reactor product stream.The scrubber uses an absorbent comprising a mixture of methanol and water.The scrubber removes methanol from the reactor product stream for use with recycled methanol as a fresh absorbent.Methane-containing gas supply (II) comprises steam, misted water, carbon dioxide, methanol, formaldehyde, and/or ethanol.Methane-containing gas supply (II) is coupled to methane-containing gas input (II) to provide a methane-containing gas to be directly mixed with a mixture of the methane-containing gas and the oxygen-containing gas within the reactor after formaldehyde is formed.The reaction product gas stream comprises a mixture of methanol and formaldehyde.The system further comprises a cooler configured to cool the recycled absorbent prior to its entry into the scrubber, a methanol supply source for maintaining a steady state balance of methanol between the scrubber and the reactor, a side removal stream configured to remove all of methanol, water, carbon dioxide, and formaldehyde entering the scrubber at steady state, a formaldehyde rectifier (132) downstream of the side removal stream configured to provide a supply of formaldehyde, a methanol rectifier (134) downstream of the side removal stream configured to provide a supply of methanol, a heat exchanger (114) configured to cool the reactor product stream prior to entering the scrubber, and a methane-containing gas regulator.The formaldehyde rectifier is further configured to provide a pure supply of carbon dioxide.The methane-containing gas regulator is configured to regulate the quantity of methanol and a desired quantity of formaldehyde as a result of the reaction in the reactor, by regulating methane-containing gas supplies (I, II) and/or the oxygen-containing gas supply.Preferred Conditions: The scrubber operates at a pressure of 4 MPa or more and at less than 0degreesC.A steady state balance of methanol is maintained between the scrubber and the reactor by adding recycled methanol to the scrubber.Preferred Method: Methanol and water are condensed from the reaction product gas stream.All of the methanol and formaldehyde entering the scrubber are removed at steady state via a side removal stream.The spent absorbent is cooled prior to its re-introduction in the scrubber.The spent solvent is recycled by removing all of the methanol, water, carbon dioxide, and formaldehyde entering the scrubber at steady state via a side removal stream, and cooling the solvent prior to its re-introduction in the scrubber as an absorbent.The product gas is cooled prior to directing to the scrubber.