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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Manufacture of methane

Patent ·
OSTI ID:7351982
A process is reported for the manufacture of methane by steam reforming of hydrocarbons of 2 to 30 C atoms or their mixtures on nickel catalysts at superatmospheric pressure, and after-treatment of the resulting cracked gases consisting essentially of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, hydrogen, methane, and steam, wherein, in a first process stage, in order to produce gases containing methane, the hydrocarbon vapors or their mixtures together with steam are passed under superatmospheric pressure and at temperatures above 250/sup 0/C through the bed of a practically alkali-free supported nickel catalyst produced from the catalyst precursor Ni/sub 6/Al/sub 2/(OH)/sub 16/.CO/sub 3/.4H/sub 2/O, wherein the catalyst precursor is manufactured by precipitating the compound Ni/sub 6/Al/sub 2/(OH)/sub 16/.CO/sub 3/.4H/sub 2/O from aqueous solution, drying it at a temperature of from 80/sup 0/ to 180/sup 0/C, calcining it at a temperature of from 300/sup 0/ to 550/sup 0/C and subsequently reducing it in a stream of hydrogen, with the proviso that between the drying stage and the calcination stage the temperature is raised at a rate in the range from 1.60/sup 0/ to 3.33/sup 0/C/minute, and the reaction products obtained after passing through the first process stage, in which the catalyst has been kept at temperatures from 300/sup 0/ to 500/sup 0/C by the heat of reaction which was liberated, are cooled, and the gases consisting essentially of methane, hydrogen and carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide are passed, in a further catalytic process stage, under superatmospheric pressure and at temperatures of the gas mixtures from 200/sup 0/ to 300/sup 0/C, through a bed of a low temperature naphtha cracking catalyst containing nickel.
Assignee:
BASF Aktiengesellschaft
Patent Number(s):
US 3950368
OSTI ID:
7351982
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English