Syngas formation by direct oxidation of methane - Reaction mechanisms and new reactor concepts

The reaction mechanism of direct catalytic oxidation of methane to syngas o ver a platinum catalyst under high temperature, short contact time conditio ns was studied with a detailed reactor and reaction model. Based on a detai led analysis of this mechanism, new integrated reactor concepts were deduce d. Two concepts were studied in detail: a fixed bed reactor with integrated recuperative heat exchange, and a catalytic membrane reactor with distribu ted reactant feed. The reactor concepts are presented, and advantages and p roblems of the concepts are discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All r ights reserved.