Dehydrogenative Conversion of Methane to C2 Hydrocarbons and Aromatics over Pt/Al2O3 Catalysts

• Published in: Journal of the Japan Petroleum Institute Vol. 66; no. 5; pp. 162 - 170
• Main Authors: OGIHARA, Hitoshi, YOSHIDA-HIRAHARA, Miru, KUROKAWA, Hideki, TAKAMURA, Riku, TOMONO, Tatsuki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: Tokyo The Japan Petroleum Institute 01.09.2023; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Subjects: Aluminum oxide; Aromatic compounds; Aromatization; Catalysts; Catalytic activity; Catalytic converters; Coke; Dehydrogenation; Dehydrogenative conversion; Deposition; Fossils; Hydrocarbons; Low concentrations; Methane; Natural gas; Non-oxidative coupling; Platinum catalyst; Regeneration
• ISSN: 1346-8804; 1349-273X
• DOI: 10.1627/jpi.66.162

Natural gas is attracting attention as an alternative fossil resource to oil. As the primary component of natural gas is methane, there is a growing demand for the development of catalytic processes capable of direct CH4 conversion into valuable chemicals. In this study, the dehydrogenative conversion of CH4 over Pt/Al2O3 catalysts was investigated. C2 hydrocarbons and aromatics were formed from CH4 at moderate reaction temperatures (550-600 °C). At low concentrations of CH4, no hydrocarbons were produced, and coke deposition predominated. From the results, we considered that adsorbed methyl and methylene species were coupled on the Pt surface, forming hydrocarbons. Although the Pt/Al2O3 catalyst was deactivated by coke deposition, it was found that the removal of coke by oxygen treatment regenerated the catalytic activity of the Pt/Al2O3.