Initiation-chain reaction separated oxidation of gas phase methane

Although the chemical utilization of methane has been considered promising highly, the majority of uses are via the reforming of methane to synthesis gas, which is attributed to the high stability of methane. In this study, the authors tried to keep separate the location of the initial activation of methane at high temperature and that of the consecutive chain reaction at low temperature. A method of MWI (abbreviation of Micro Wire Initiation) activates the methane molecule and the activated species are smoothly introduced into the tandem chain reaction zone, which is connected downstream of the initiation zone. In the MWI system, methanol was formed at 393 K and its selectivity increased as increasing in total pressure. No reaction proceeded without MWI below 683 K, and there are no obvious differences in either methane conversion or product distribution for different reaction temperatures. Over 683 K, the conversion of methane and the selectivity to methanol increased with reaction temperatures. The selectivity to methanol depends on the reaction pressure. Low total pressure favors the formation of CO. It is important to note that if methyl radical is produced by MWI activation, successive chain reaction could proceed at temperature as low as 393 K.