OXIDATIVE COUPLING OF METHANE IN POROUS VYCOR MEMBRANE REACTORS

Porous Vycor membrane tubes were used in shell-and-tube type membrane reactors to study the effect on the oxidative coupling of methane of m etering the oxygen into the catalyst bed. Experimental studies showed that under conditions of complete oxygen conversion, Vycor membrane re actors packed with Sm2O3 catalyst exhibited enhanced hydrocarbon (C-2) selectivity. C-2 yields were comparable to those of the conventional co-feed packed bed reactors operated under the same conditions. The hi gher C-2 selectivity in the membrane reactors indicated that, for meth ane coupling, regulating the supply of oxygen along the length of the packed bed may be beneficial to C-2 formation.