PARTIAL OXIDATION OF METHANE, METHANOL, AND MIXTURES OF METHANE AND METHANOL, METHANE AND ETHANE, AND METHANE, CARBON-DIOXIDE, AND CARBON-MONOXIDE

The homogeneous partial oxidation of methane involves the primary reac tions of methane oxidation as well as the secondary reactions with the reaction products formaldehyde, methanol, and carbon monoxide. The co mplex free-radical set of reactions are modeled using a pseudo-first-o rder reaction parallel-series network of the three reactions methane t o methanol, methane to carbon monoxide, and methanol to carbon monoxid e. The secondary reaction of methanol to carbon monoxide increases as the oxygen concentration in the feed increases. For experiments with 1 00% oxygen conversions, increases in residence time and temperature re sult in further loss of methane and methanol to CO. For temperatures g reater than 710 K some oxidative coupling occurs to produce ethane. Th e selectivity of methanol wsa 34-55% for feeds of 2.3-4.4% oxygen and 95-98% methane and 50 atm. The selectivity was highest at low conversi ons and low oxygen feed concentrations.