Oxidative pyrolysis of methane to higher hydrocarbons: Effects of water in feed

✍ Scribed by Vasant R. Choudhary; Sopan T. Chaudhari; Amarjeet M. Rajput

• Publisher: American Institute of Chemical Engineers
• Year: 1991
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 601 KB
• Volume: 37
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0001-1541
• DOI: 10.1002/aic.690370614

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Direct conversion of methane into higher hydrocarbons (ethane, ethylene, and to small extent C~3‐4~ hydrocarbons) by its partial oxidation with oxygen in the absence of catalyst has been investigated. It was carried out in a quartz flow reactor at atmospheric pressure under nonflame conditions at different temperatures (1,123‐1,273 K), CH~4~/O~2~ ratios (1.7‐9.0), space velocities (500‐5,000 h^−1^), and water concentrations (0.0‐80 mol %) in the feed. No coke deposition was observed in the reactor, but there was a formation of small amounts of tarry matter in the reaction at ≥ 1,223 K, particularly for the lower CH~4~/O~2~ ratios (≤3.5). The product distribution in the process was strongly influenced by the dilution of feed with N~2~ or water. Addition of water in the feed was highly beneficial to obtaining higher yield and/or to selectivity for the higher hydrocarbons and suppressing almost completely the formation of tarry matter.