PARTIAL OXIDATION OF METHANE - THE ROLE OF SURFACE-REACTIONS

The gas-phase partial oxidation of methane with molecular oxygen, to methanol and formaldehyde, has been studied in a flow reactor at 2 MPa and 400-650-degrees-C. The influence of reactor surface area on the reaction was examined both experimentally and by using the model developed by Bedeneev et al. Increasing the surface to volume ratio in a quartz-lined reactor was found to significantly decrease both the reaction rate and the selectivity to methanol. Under favorable conditions, combined methanol/formaldehyde selectivities of over 60% were obtained, although at methane conversions of below 1%. The implications of these results for both previous and future work are discussed.