Recent Results on Fast Flow Gas-Phase Partial Oxidation of Lower Alkanes

Recent experimental results and kinetic modeling of fast flow gas-phase oxidation of methane and other lower alkanes to methanol and other oxygenates are discussed,alongside with prospects and possible areas for applications of the processes.     

TPSR STUDIES OF THE ACTIVATION OF METHANE ON SUPPORTED PLATINUM CATALYSTS

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STUDIES OF THE HOMOLOGATION OF METHANE ONSUPPORTED TRANSITION METAL CATALYSTS

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Hydrogen Effect on Coke Removal and Catalytic Performance in Pre-Carburization and Methane Dehydro-Aromatization Reaction on Mo/HZSM-5

1. Introduction As an effective utilization of methane, the methane dehydro-aromatization was focused in the last decade [1-28]. Over the Mo/HZSM-5 bi- functional catalyst at high reaction temperature, methane can be converted into light aromatics (ben- zene and naphthalene) and hydrogen. Mo active species can activate the C—H bond of methane; and HZSM-5 supplies the acid sites for the oligomeriza- tion and cyclization of hydrocarbons to form aromat- ics, and suppresses the deeper condens…     

The Effect of Vibrational Excitation of Molecules on Plasmachemical Reactions Involving Methane and Nitrogen

An experimental study of plasmachemical reaction involving CH₄ and N₂ molecules in rf discharge was studied in order to know the effect of vibrational excitation of N₂ molecules. When the relative nitrogen concentration was greater than 0.8, the main product of CH₄ decomposition was HCN, and the rate of methane decomposition at this condition was faster than that one in pure methane. These results could be confirmed through the mass spectroscopic method. The reason for these results is the vibrational energy of N₂ excited by rf discharge. The chain reaction mechanisms of producing HCN by vibrational excitation of N₂ were examined closely through numerical simulation. The rate-controlling step was the dissociation reaction of excited nitrogen molecule to the atomic nitrogen, so the process of HCN synthesis was limited by the value of reaction constant, k^N.     

Studies of the Methane Steam Reforming Reaction at High Pressure in a Ceramic Membrane Reactor

The effects of temperature and pressure on the steam reforming of methane 3H2+CO) were investigated in a membrane reactor (MR) with a hydrogen permeable membrane. The studies used a novel silica-based membrane prepared by using the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique with a permeance for H2 of 6.0×l0-8 mol·m-2·s-1·Pa-1 at 923 K. The results in a packed-bed reactor (PBR) were compared to those of the membrane reactor at various temperatures (773-923 K) and pressures (1-20 atm, 101.3-2026.5 kPa) using a commercial Ni/MgAl2O4 catalyst. The conversion of methane was improved significantly in the MR by the countercurrent removal of hydrogen at all temperatures and allowed product yields higher than the equilibrium to be obtained. Pressure had a positive effect on the hydrogen yield because of the increase in driving force for the permeance of hydrogen. The yield of hydrogen increased with pressure and reached a value of 73×10-6 mol·g-1·s-1 at 2026.5 kPa and 923 K which was higher by 108% than the value of 35×10-6 mol·g-1·s-1 obtained for the equilibrium yield. The results obtained with the silica-based membrane were similar to those obtained with various other membranes as reported in the literature.     

Macroscopic mass and energy balance of a pilot plant anaerobic bioreactor operated under thermophilic conditions

Intensive poultry production generates over 100,000 t of litter annually in West Virginia and 9×10⁶ t nationwide. Current available technological alternatives based on thermophilic anaerobic digestion for residuals treatment are diverse. A modification of the typical continuous stirred tank reactor is a promising process being relatively stable and owing to its capability to manage considerable amounts of residuals at low operational cost. A 40-m³ pilot plant digester was used for performance evaluation considering energy input and methane production. Results suggest some changes to the pilot plant configuration are necessary to reduce power consumption although maximizing biodigester performance.     

The Catalytic Oxidative Coupling of Methane

One of the great challenges in the field of heterogeneous catalysis is the conversion of methane to more useful chemicals and fuels. A chemical of particular importance is ethene, which can be obtained by the oxidative coupling of methane. In this reaction CH₄ is first oxidatively converted into C₂H₆, and then into C₂H₄. The fundamental aspects of the problem involve both a heterogeneous component, which includes the activation of CH₄ on a metal oxide surface, and a homogeneous gas-phase component, which includes free-radical chemistry. Ethane is produced mainly by the coupling of the surface-generated CH radicals in the gas phase. The yield of C₂H₄ and C₂H₆ is limited by secondary reactions of CH radicals with the surface and by the further oxidation of C₂H₄, both on the catalyst surface and in the gas phase. Currently, the best catalysts provide 20% CH₄ conversion with 80% combined C₂H₄ and C₂H₆ selectivity in a single pass through the reactor. Less is known about the nature of the active centers than about the reaction mechanism; however, reactive oxygen ions are apparently required for the activation of CH₄ on certain catalysts. There is spectroscopic evidence for surface O^? or O ions. In addition to the oxidative coupling of CH₄, cross-coupling reactions, such as between methane and toluene to produce styrene, have been investigated. Many of the same catalysts are effective, and the cross-coupling reaction also appears to involve surface-generated radicals. Although a technological process has not been developed, extensive research has resulted in a reasonable understanding of the elementary reactions that occur during the oxidative coupling of methane.     

Influence of the composition of perovskites based on SrMnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> on their catalytic properties in the oxidative coupling of methane

The oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) in a periodic regime over the SrMnO₃ and its derivatives has been investigated. It has been established that partial replacement of the strontium ion by alkali metal ions leads to an increase in both catalytic activity and in selectivity with respect to higher hydrocarbons. Comparison of the results obtained in the present work with those obtained earlier for catalysts based on SrCoO₃ led to the conclusion that the Co-containing catalysts were preferable to the Mn-containing catalysts for carrying out oxidative coupling of methane in a periodic regime.__________Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Éksperimentalnaya Khimiya, Vol. 41, No. 1, pp. 30–34, January–February, 2005.     

Recent Progress in Direct Partial Oxidation of Methane to Methanol

The direct conversion of methane to methanol has attracted a great deal of attention for nearly a century since it was first found possible in 1902, and it is still a challenging task. This review article describes recent advancements in the direct partial oxidation of methane to methanol. The history of direct oxidation of methane and the difficulties encountered in the partial oxidation of methane to methanol are briefly summarized. Recently reported developments in gas-phase homogeneous oxidation, heterogeneous catalytic oxidation and liquid phase homogeneous catalytic oxidation of methane axe reviewed.