Carbon Dioxide Reforming of Methane Using a Dielectric Barrier Discharge Reactor: Effect of Helium Dilution and Kinetic Model

The carbon dioxide reforming of methane to synthesis gas was investigated in a dielectric barrier discharge reactor at room temperature. The influence of dilution of reactants by helium was studied. We showed that, at a fixed contact time, the conversions of CH₄ and CO₂ increase when the amount of helium in the gas mixture increases. This result is attributed to the “penning ionization” phenomenon, which corresponds to an energy transfer from excited He to molecules in ground state (CH₄, CO₂). The selectivity to products is affected by the dilution factor. As soon as helium is present in a large amount the formation of products resulting from recombination of methyl radicals (such as C₂, C₃ and C₄) is less favourable due to the lowest probability of collisions to proceed. A kinetic model is proposed based on the assumption that the reactant molecules CH₄ or CO₂ are attacked by active species produced by the plasma discharges, and the production of this active species are function of the plasma power. This model which takes into account the dilution by helium fits particularly well the experimental data we obtained.     

A kinetic study of methane conversion by a dinitrogen microwave plasma

Conversion of CH₄ with a N₂ microwave plasma (2.45 GHz) is studied. The experiments cover the absorbed microwave power range 300–700 W with 17–62% of methane in the gas mixture, with pressures of 10–40 mbar and flow rates of 140–650 ml· min^–1. The yields of C₂ hydrocarbons and dihydrogen are analyzed by gas chromatography. The distance of methane addition downstream of the plasma plays an important role on the composition and the concentration of the products obtained. This distance mainly determines the energy concentrated in the active species of the plasma when they react with methane. Different behaviors for acetylene formation, on the one hand, and for ethane and ethene formation, on the other hand, have been observed, and this finding allows us to propose a kinetic mechanism for the decay of methane and for the formation of C₂ hydrocarbons.     

Chemical Kinetics of Methane Pyrolysis in Microwave Plasma at Atmospheric Pressure

Results of chemical kinetics modeling in methane subjected to the microwave plasma at atmospheric pressure are presented in this paper. The reaction mechanism is based on the methane oxidation model without reactions involving nitrogen and oxygen. For the numerical calculations 0D and 1D models were created. 0D model uses Calorimetric Bomb Reactor whereas 1D model is constructed either as Plug Flow Reactor or as a chain of Plug Flow Reactor and Calorimetric Bomb Reactor. Both models explain experimental results and show the most important reactions responsible for the methane conversion and production of H₂, C₂H₂, C₂H₄ and C₂H₆ detected in the experiment. Main conclusion is that the chemical reactions in our experiment proceed by a thermal process and the products can be defined by considering thermodynamic equilibrium. Temperature characterizing the methane pyrolysis is 1,500–2,000 K, but plasma temperature is in the range of 4,000–5,700 K, which means that methane pyrolysis process is occurring outside the plasma region in the swirl gas flowing around the plasma.     

Converting Methane by Using an RF Plasma Reactor

A radio-frequency (RF) plasma system was used to convert methane gas. The reactants and final products were analyzed by using an FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectrometer). The effects of plasma operational parameters, including feeding concentration (C) of CH ₄ , operational pressure (P) in the RF plasma reactor, total gas flow rate (Q) and input power wattage (W) for CH ₄ decomposition were evaluated. The results showed that the CH ₄ decomposition fraction increases with increasing power input, decreasing operational pressure in the RF plasma reactor, decreasing CH ₄ feeding concentration, and decreasing total gas flow rate. In addition, mathematical models based on the obtained experimental data were developed and tested by means of sensitivity analysis.     

The high temperature pyrolysis of ethylbenzene

The thermal decomposition of ethylbenzene has been investigated behind reflected shock waves over the temperature and pressure ranges of 1350–2080 K and 0.25–0.5 atm using a 1.6% C₈H₁₀ ? Ne mixture. Major products of the pyrolysis are C₇H₈, C₇H₇, C₆H₆, C₄H₂, C₂H₄, C₂H₂, and CH₄; C₈H₈ appears throughout the temperature range as a minor product. Comparison of the product profiles obtained by time-of-flight mass spectrometry and the results of model calculations strongly supports the initiation step of β C? C bond homolysis for C₈H₁₀ dissociation. A 51 kinetic step reaction mechanism with 24 species was formulated to model the temperature and time dependence of the major products observed in our experiments.     

Experimental and computational studies of the thermal decomposition of halon 1211

Thermal pyrolysis of halon 1211 (CBrClF₂), diluted in nitrogen, in a tubular alumina reactor, has been studied over the temperature range of 773–1073 K at residence times from 0.3 to 2 s. At temperatures below 973 K, the major products were CCl₂F₂, CBr₂F₂, C₂Cl₂F₄, C₂BrClF₄, C₂F₄, and C₂Br₂F₄. Further increasing temperature resulted in the formation of CBrF₃, CClF₃, and many other species whose formation necessitated the rupture of C? F bonds. Coke formation was also observed on the surface of the reactor at high temperatures. A kinetic reaction scheme involving 16 species and 25 reaction steps was developed and applied to model the thermal pyrolysis of halon 1211 over the temperature range of 773–973 K. Sensitivity analysis suggests that the reaction CBrClF₂ + CClF₂→CCl₂F₂ + CBrF₂ constitutes the major pathway for the decomposition of halon 1211 under the conditions investigated. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 37: 134–146, 2005     

水城褐煤热解的气体产物析出特征及甲烷的生成反应类型研究

利用傅里叶红外光谱仪研究了煤中主要官能团的分布,利用热重-质谱联用（TG/MS）在10℃/min的条件下研究了水城褐煤的热解行为,获得了煤热解主要挥发分气体（H₂、CH₄、H₂O、CO、CO₂）生成的速率曲线。采用分峰拟合的方法将甲烷的生成速率曲线分解为五个峰,通过化学动力学分析,结合煤的结构特性、热解特性及其他挥发分气体的生成特征,认为甲烷的生成主要由一个脱吸附过程和四个化学反应组成。     

Thermal reactions of acetonitrile at high temperatures. Pyrolysis behind reflected shocks

The thermal decomposition of acetonitrile was studied behind reflected shocks in a single pulse shock tube over the temperature range 1350–1950 K at overall densities of approximately 3 × 10^?5 mol/cc. Methane and hydrogen cyanide are the major reaction products. They are formed by an attack of H and CH₃ radicals on acetonitrile. The initiation step of the pyrolysis is the self dissociation of acetonitrile: for which the following rate constant was obtained: k₁ = 6.17 × 10¹⁵exp(?96.6 × 10³/RT)sec^?1. Where R is given in units of cal/K mol. Additional reaction products which appear in the pyrolysis are: C₂H₂, C₂H₄, CH₂?CHCN, CH?CHCN, C₂H₅CN, C₂N₂, and C₄H₂. Acetylene is formed from methane pyrolysis and becomes a major reaction product at high temperatures. Acrilonitrile and cyanoacetylene are secondary products originating from the CH₂CN radical. Rate parameters for the formation of the reaction products are given.     

Hydrogen Reduction of MoF6 and Molybdenum Carbide Formation in RF Inductively Coupled Low-Pressure Discharge: Experiment and Equilibrium Thermodynamics Consideration

The physical plasma parameters, temperature and electron number density, are studied in the RF-IC (RF inductively coupled) discharge at a reduced pressure of 3 Torr in mixtures of MoF₆ with Ar, H₂ and CH₄. The emission spectra of mixtures are investigated. It is shown that in the presence of argon, the concentration of free electrons in plasma and dissociation rate of MoF₆ increase. A main role of molecular hydrogen is the generation of atomic hydrogen that binds atomic fluorine and leads to the formation of gaseous and solid products. Exhaust gas mixtures exiting the reactor are analyzed by mass spectrometry. It is shown that for all cases, the conversion of MoF₆ into reaction products is close to 100%. A thermodynamic analysis of the equilibrium composition of MoF₆ systems with Ar, H₂ and CH₄ was carried out and the obtained results are in good agreement with experimentally observed composition of the solid and gas phases. Analysis of solid deposits from mixture MoF₆/H₂/Ar revealed the presence of molybdenum powder and large amount of amorphous MoF_x. The deposit obtained from mixtures with methane, MoF₆/H₂/Ar/CH₄, contained crystalline molybdenum carbide, Mo₃C₂.

     

Kinetic formation of CO,CO2, H2, and light hydrocarbon gases from cellulose pyrolysis

The formation of gaseous products has been examined for cellulose over the temperature range of 360–595°C. The evolution of CO, CO₂, H₂, CH₄, C₂H₄, and C₂H₆ was determined as a function of time. The overall kinetic rate constants for decomposition were determined from the formation rates for each gas, as well as the rate constants for the formation of each specific gas. It has been verified that CO and CO₂ are both primary products of decomposition, and further emanate from the same kinetic pathway. By increasing the residence time of the reactor, the production of all gaseous products, including both CO and CO₂, further increased, indicating production by a secondary reaction mechanism. None of the gaseous products, save CO and CO₂, were detected in measurable quantities except at temperatures above which transport limitations had affected the measurement of the kinetic rates.     

Plasma-chemical decomposition of methane during diamond synthesis

Using a mass spectrometric sampling method, we have observed the decomposition of CH₄ in an rf plasma usedfor diamond deposition. The gas samples were extracted through an orifice located downstream of the plasma zone and analyzed online. For the experiments a dilute mixture of H₂ and CH₄ containing 0.1–3% CH₄ has been used. CH₄ is converted to C₂H₂ and C₂H₄ quantitatively. Small amounts of heavier hydrocarbons are formed. A comparison of the experimental results with a recent kinetic model treating a purely thermal environment is made and the differences between our experiment and the model are explained. The role of acetylene as a species formed in an atmosphere rich in atomic hydrogen is proposed. The electron impact dissociation process is suggested as the rare-determining step in the plasma-chemical decomposition of methane.     

Kinetics of ethane oxidation

Ethane oxidation in jet-stirred reactor has recently been investigated at high temperature (800–1200 K) in the pressure range 1–10 atm and molecular species (H₂, CO, CO₂, CH₄, C₂H₂, C₂H₄, C₂H₆) concentration profiles were obtained by probe sampling and GC analysis. Ethane oxidation was modeled using a comprehensive kinetic reaction mechanism including the most recent findings concerning the kinetics of the reactions involved in the oxidation of C₁? C₄ hydrocarbons. The proposed mechanism is able to reproduce experimental data obtained in our high-pressure jet stirred reactor and ignition delay times measured in shock tube in the pressure range 1–13 atm, for temperatures extending from 800 to 2000 K and equivalence ratios of 0.1 to 2. It is also able to reproduce atoms concentrations (H,O) measured in shock tube at ≈2 atm. The same detailed kinetic mechanism can also be used to model the oxidation of methane, ethylene, propyne, and allene in similar conditions.     

Rate determination of the catalytic oxidation of methane and propane in an electrochemical solid-electrolyte reactor

The possibility of using a solid-electrolyte reactor in kinetic studies of the catalytic oxidations of hydrocarbon with molecular oxygen was investigated. A theoretical analysis of processes in a catalytically asymmetric gas-diffusion cell in N₂ + O₂ + CH₄ and N₂ + O₂ + C₃H₈ gas mixtures was performed. Analytical expressions are presented for calculating the oxygen, methane, and propane concentrations and the methane and propane oxidation rates in the inner space of the cell from the emf of the latter. The potentiometric response was studied experimentally after the addition of methane and propane in the gas mixture in a reactor with silver electrodes and samples with applied catalytic materials. The concentrations of the components in the inner space of the reactor and the oxidation rates of hydrocarbons were calculated from the experimental data.     

Deposition of Diamondlike Carbon Film and Mass Spectrometry Measurement in CH4/N2 RF Plasma

The deposition of diamondlike carbon (DLC) film and the measurements of ionic species by means of mass spectrometry were carried out in a CH₄/N₂ RF (13.56 MHz) plasma at 0.1 Torr. The film deposition rate greatly depended on both CH₄/N₂ composition ratio and RF power input. It was decreased monotonically as CH₄ content decreased in the plasma and then rapidly diminished to negligible amounts at a critical CH₄ content, which became large for higher RF power. The rate increased with increasing RF power, reaching a maximum value in 40% CH₄ plasma. The predominant ionic products in CH₄/N₂ plasma were NH⁺ ₄ and CH₄N⁺ ions, which were produced by reactions of hydrocarbon ions, such as CH⁺ ₃, CH⁺ ₂, CH⁺ ₅, and C₂H⁺ ₅ with NH₃ molecules in the plasma. It was speculated that the production of NH⁺ ₄ ion induced the decrease of C₂H⁺ ₅ ion density in the plasma, which caused a reduction in higher hydrocarbon ions densities and, accordingly, in film deposition rate. The N⁺ ₂ ion sputtering also plays a major role in a reduction of film deposition rate for relatively large RF powers. The incorporation of nitrogen atoms into the bonding network of the DLC film deposited was greatly suppressed at present gas pressure conditions.     

High-temperature pyrolysis of acetaldehyde

High-temperature (>1000°K) pyrolysis of acetaldehyde (～1% in an atmosphere of pure nitrogen) was examined in a turbulent flow reactor which permits accurate determination of the spatial distribution of the stable species. Results show that the products in order of decreasing importance are CO, CH₄, H₂, C₂H₆, and C₂H₄. Rates of formation were consistent with the Rice–Herzfeld mechanism by including reactions to explain C₂H₄ formation and the possible presence of ketene. A steady-state treatment of the complete mechanism indicates that the overall reaction order decreases from \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$ \frac{3}{2} $\end{document} to 1, which is supported by the new experimental data. Using earlier low-temperature results, the rate constant for the reaction CH₃CHO → CH₃ + CHO (1) was found as k₁=10^15.85±0.21 exp (?81,775±1000/RT) sec^?1. Also, data for the ratio of rate constants for reactions CH₃CHO + CH₃ → CH₄ + CH₃CO (4) and 2CH₃ → C₂H₆(6) were fitted to the empirical expression k₄/k₆^1/2=10^?13.89±0.03T^6.1 exp(?1720±70/RT) (cm³/mole·sec)^1/2 and causes for the curvature are discussed. The noncatalytic effect of oxygen on acetaldehyde pyrolysis at high temperature is explained.     

Kinetic Simulation of Methane and Ethane Hydroxylation by Methane Monooxygenase

According to the mechanism of alkane hydroxylation, whose main postulate is the formation of an intermediate complex containing pentacoordinated carbon, the hydroxylation of methane and ethane by methane monooxygenase was kinetically simulated by the numerical method. The published data on the kinetic isotope effects of oxidation of deuterium-substituted methane molecules (CHD₃, CH₂D₂, and CH₃D) and the distribution of products of chiral ethane (R- and S-MeCHDT) oxidation by methane monooxygenase were examined. The kinetic models proposed for the oxidation of isotopically substituted methane and ethane are in good agreement with experimental data.     

Comparative Study of the Decomposition of CCl4 in Cold and Thermal Plasma

Decomposition of carbon tetrachloride was studied in an inductively coupled thermal plasma reactor and in a low temperature, non-equilibrium plasma reactor, in neutral and oxidative conditions, respectively. In neutral conditions formation of solid soot, aliphatic- and cyclodienes was observed in equilibrium, and products, such as Cl₂ and C₂Cl₆ were detected in non-equilibrium plasma. Feeding of oxygen into the thermal plasma reactor depressed both soot and dienes formation and induced the formation of oxygen containing intermediates and products. GC-MS analyses of the gaseous products and the extract of the soot referred to as complex decomposition and recombination mechanism at given conditions. Presence of oxygen in the low temperature plasma reactor results in the formation of carbonyl compounds as intermediers. CO₂ and Cl₂ revealed as final products of CCl₄ decomposition in cold plasma.     

Methane Hydroxylation by Methane Monooxygenase: On the Problem of the Process Dynamics

Published data on the kinetic isotope effects of the hydroxylation of deuterium-substituted methane molecules (CHD₃, CH₂D₂, and CH₃D) by methane monooxygenase are examined in the framework of the two-step nonradical mechanism through the intermediate formation of a complex containing pentacoordinate carbon. The kinetic schemes with the first step involving one, two, and three hydrogen atoms of the oxidized substrate are considered. Contrary to the widely accepted oxygen rebound mechanism, the experimental results obtained for the oxidation of various substrates by methane monooxygenase and cytochrome P450 can be explained from the viewpoint of the dynamics of a general nonradical mechanism.     

Experimental and chemical kinetic study of the pyrolysis of trifluoroethane and the reaction of trifluoromethane with methane

A detailed reaction mechanism is developed and used to model experimental data on the pyrolysis of CHF₃ and the non-oxidative gas-phase reaction of CHF₃ with CH₄ in an alumina tube reactor at temperatures between 873 and 1173 K and at atmospheric pressure. It was found that CHF₃ can be converted into C₂F₄ during pyrolysis and CH₂CF₂ via reaction with CH₄. Other products generated include C₃F₆, CH₂F₂, C₂H₃F, C₂HF₃, C₂H₆, C₂H₂ and CHF₂CHF₂. The rate of CHF₃ decomposition can be expressed as 5.2×10¹³ [s−1] e−295[kJ mol−1]/RT. During the pyrolysis of CHF₃ and in the reaction of CHF₃ with CH₄, the initial steps in the reaction involve the decomposition of CHF₃ and subsequent formation of CF₂ difluorocarbene radical and HF. It is proposed that CH₄ is activated by a series of chain reactions, initiated by H radicals. The NIST HFC and GRI-Mech mechanisms, with minor modifications, are able to obtain satisfactory agreement between modelling results and experimental data. With these modelling analyses, the reactions leading to the formation of major and minor products are fully elucidated.     

基于Py-GC联用的煤快速热解实验研究

采用居里点裂解仪-气相色谱仪(Py-GC)联用的方法研究了4种煤的快速热解特性,分析了挥发分主要气相产物及其析出规律.结果表明,大于等于50%的挥发分在热解初期(t ≤ 2 s)释放,采用箔片装载方式的居里点裂解仪完全热解1 mg煤样需要10 s;挥发分主要气相产物中,各气体组分的生成量(mmol/g_coal)顺序为H₂ > CH₄ > CO > CO₂ > C2(C₂H₆、C₂H₄)> C3(C₃H₈、C₃H₆);挥发分释放量随热解温度的升高而增加,相同热解条件下,次烟煤挥发分的释放率高于贫煤和无烟煤;H₂和CH₄的生成量依赖于热解温度,热解温度越高,H₂和CH₄的生成量越多;CO和CO₂的生成量不仅与热解温度相关,而且与煤中的氧含量紧密相关,氧含量越高的煤热解生成的CO和CO₂越多;C2和C3气体的生成量相对于其他气体很少,体积占挥发分气相产物的5%.