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Title: Direct methane conversion to methanol. Annual report, October 1993--September 1994

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/49116· OSTI ID:49116

We proposed to demonstrate the effectiveness of a catalytic membrane reactor (a ceramic membrane combined with a catalyst) to selectively produce methanol by partial oxidation of methane. Methanol is used as a chemical feedstock, gasoline additive, and turbine fuel. Methane partial oxidation using a catalytic membrane reactor has been determined as one of the promising approaches for methanol synthesis from methane. In the original proposal, the membrane was used to selectively remove methanol from the reaction zone before carbon oxides form, thus increasing the methanol yield. Methanol synthesis and separation in one step would also make methane more valuable for producing chemicals and fuels. However, all the membranes tested in this laboratory lost their selectivity under the reaction conditions. A modified non-isothermal, non-permselective membrane reactor then was built and satisfactory results were obtained. The conversion and selectivity data obtained in this laboratory were better than that of the most published studies.

Research Organization:
Colorado Univ., Boulder, CO (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
FG21-90MC27115
OSTI ID:
49116
Report Number(s):
DOE/MC/27115-4010; ON: DE95000082
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Jan 1995
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English