Investigation of ethene selectivity in the methane coupling reaction on chlorine-containing catalysts

✍ Scribed by R. Burch; S. Chalker; P. Loader; J.M. Thomas; W. Ueda

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1992
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 865 KB
• Volume: 82
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0926-860X
• DOI: 10.1016/0926-860x(92)80007-y

✦ Synopsis

The formation of ethene from methane on a range of oxychloride catalysts has been investigated using a pulse technique which allows the characteristic properties of inherently unstable materials to be examined. The results show that the selectivity of the catalysts for the formation of ethene is sensitive to the choice of experimental conditions. The reactions of ethane and ethene with air have been investigated over these catalysts and the results compared with those obtained on an active oxide catalyst. The results suggest that the very high selectivity of oxychloride catalysts for the formation of ethene from methane is associated with the relative inability of such catalysts to oxidise totally any of the hydrocarbon species introduced, or formed, in the reaction. In particular, it is shown that the oxidation of ethane to CO, is less rapid on chlorine-containing catalysts. The effect of chlorine as a gas-phase promoter and as a catalyst modifier is discussed.