THE PARTIAL OXIDATION OF METHANE TO METHANOL WITH NITRITE AND NITRATEMELTS

The effect of reduced oxygen species on the partial oxidation of metha ne to methanol was examined with nitrite melts. The experimental resul ts support the suggestion that the formation of methanol or C-2 compou nds depends on different reduced oxygen species, as observed in our pr evious work using nitrate melts. It has been suggested that the partia l oxidation of methane proceeds to CH3OH or C-2 compounds via parallel pathways. This suggestion was verified by increasing the oxygen conce ntration to carry out the partial oxidation of methane in 25 mol% NaNO 3 - 75 mol% KNO3 melts. A methanol selectivity of 8.2% and a methanol yield of 0.43% were observed with CH4/O-2 = 15/1 at 575 degrees C, whe reas with CH4/O-2 = 7/1 methanol selectivity and yield increased to 23 .7% and 1.1%, respectively. The results further confirm the contributi on of the superoxide ion O-2(-) On methanol formation.