Direct catalytic conversion of methane and light hydrocarbon gases. Quarterly report No. 6, January 16, 1988--April 15, 1988

Technical Report · Fri May 20 04:00:00 EDT 1988

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/85188· OSTI ID:85188

Wilson, Jr, R B; Chan, Yee Wai; Posin, B M

The goal of this research is to develop catalysts that directly convert methane and light hydrocarbons to intermediates that later can be converted to either liquid fuels or value-added chemicals, as economics dictate. During this reporting period, we synthesized several phthalocyanine catalysts supported on magnesia (MgO) in Task 3. In Task 4 we have tested these catalysts for oxidation of methane and did a number of blank experiments to determine the cause of the low methanol yield we have observed. Magnesia supported catalysts were prepared by first synthesizing the various metal tetrasulfophthalocyanines (TSPCs), converting them to the acid form, and then supporting these complexes on a basic support (MgO) by a neutralization reaction. The metals used were Ru, Pd, Cu, Fe, Co, Mn, and Mo. CoTSPC was also synthesized in zeolite Y using our standard template techniques described in Quarterly Report No. 1. These complexes were examined for catalytic activity in the oxidation of methane. The PdTSPC/MgO had greater activity, and oxidized some of the methane (selectivity of 2.8% from the methane oxidized at 375{degrees}C) to ethane. This is a much lower temperature for this reaction than previously reported in the literature. We also examined the reactivity of various components of the system in the oxidation of the product methanol. The reactor showed some activity for the oxidation of methanol to carbon dioxide. When zeolite or magnesia were added, this activity increased. The magnesia oxidized most of the methanol to carbon dioxide, while the zeolite reduced some of the methanol to hydrocarbons. With oxygen in the feed gas stream (i.e., the conditions of our methane oxidation), a very large fraction of the methanol was oxidized to carbon dioxide when passed over magnesia. From this, we can conclude that any methanol formed in the oxidation of methane would probably be destroyed very quickly on the catalyst bed.

• Research Organization: SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC22-86PC90011
• OSTI ID: 85188
• Report Number(s): DOE/PC/90011--T6; ON: DE95014806
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
40 CHEMISTRY
CATALYST SUPPORTS
CATALYSTS
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
CHEMICAL PREPARATION
CHEMICAL REACTION YIELD
CHEMICAL REACTORS
COBALT COMPLEXES
CONVERSION
COPPER COMPLEXES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
IRON COMPLEXES
MAGNESIUM OXIDES
MANGANESE COMPLEXES
METHANE
METHANOL
MOLYBDENUM COMPLEXES
OXIDATION
PALLADIUM COMPLEXES
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PHTHALOCYANINES
PROGRESS REPORT
RUTHENIUM COMPLEXES