Contemporary Methods for the Direct Catalytic Conversion of Methane

The principal methods for the conversion of methane into useful chemical compounds are discussed. Promising methods include direct nonoxidative dehydrocondensation of methane to aromatic hydrocarbons, oxidative coupling of methane to ethylene, and partial oxidation of methane to oxygenates. In the case of the last reaction the proposed approach makes it possible to compare precisely the selective action of heterogeneous catalysts and to predict that a maximum yield will be obtained in a flow-type reactor with recycling.