Methane Pyrolysis Stimulated by Admixture of Atomic Hydrogen: 1. An Experimental Study

A method for enhancing the hydrocarbon pyrolysis process by introducing atomic hydrogen into the reaction medium from an arcjet plasma source was considered. It was shown that hydrogen atoms could effectively be introduced by mixing under low pressure. The atomic hydrogen–stimulated methane pyrolysis process was experimentally studied in a continuous stirred reactor with a plasma plume. When hydrogen atoms were present in the plasma jet, the amount of the valuable product increased by a factor of two.