CARBON DEPOSITION ON IRON AND NICKEL SHEETS FROM LIGHT HYDROCARBONS

The formation of carbon on iron and nickel surfaces from methane, ethane and ethylene was studied for surface temperatures ranging from 870 to 1030°C. The rate of deposition was measured by the weight increase of the metal sheet. In the case of nickel, initial deposition occurred very rapidly, the amount of which was nearly independent of temperature, pressure and the kind of gas, and the main process involved is believed to be surface reaction. In the case of iron, the deposition rate depended on both pressure and temperature remarkably, for methane and ethane, and in these cases gas phase reaction is believed to contribute. The deposition process of the iron-ethylene system was similar to that of the nickel-hydrocarbon systems. Some possible explanations are discussed. © 1968.