Slow Combustion of Methane at Elevated Pressures

Abstract

Methane was partially oxidized with oxygen in a batch reactor at pressures of 1700 and 3400 atm and temperatures of 270–480°C. Residence times ranged from 0 to 60 min. Water, methanol, formaldehyde, acetone, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide were produced in every reaction. In addition, ethanol was formed at high temperatures under nonisothermal conditions and formic acid was detected in reactions at 3400 atm. Products analyses were made with a two‐column gas chromatograph.

The direct conversion of methane to methanol by controlled oxidation

“…45 Products analyzed for were carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, water, methanol, ethanol, and formic acid. Hydrogen and hydrogen peroxide were not detected.…”

Modern State of Direct High Pressure Partial Oxidation of Natural Gas to Methanol

“…Some work was done with very high pressures up to 3400 atm (Tripathy, 1975) and even higher (Lott and Sliepcevich, 1967) but no obvious advantages of using such pressures were obtained. It is worth noting that it is possible to change the liquid product composition, in particular the methanol to formaldehyde ratio, by means of a pressure change (Figure 4) .…”