METHOD FOR THE OXIDATIVE COUPLING OF METHANE IN THE PRESENCE OF A NANOWIRE CATALYST

• Main Authors: Tkachenko, Alex, Zurcher, Fabio R, Gamoras, Joel, Scher, Erik C, Schammel, Wayne P, Cizeron, Joel M, Nyce, Greg, Karshtedt, Dmitry
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 10.10.2018
• Subjects: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOUNDS OF THE METALS BERYLLIUM, MAGNESIUM, ALUMINIUM,CALCIUM, STRONTIUM, BARIUM, RADIUM, THORIUM, OR OF THERARE-EARTH METALS; CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; FUELS; INORGANIC CHEMISTRY; LUBRICANTS; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; METALLURGY; MINERAL WAXES; NANOTECHNOLOGY; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; PEAT; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVEHYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, ORGASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING

The invention relates to a method for the preparation of ethylene from methane comprising contacting a mixture comprising oxygen and methane at a temperature below 900 °C with a catalytic nanowire, wherein the catalytic nanowire is an inorganic nanowire comprising one or more metal elements from any of Groups 1 through 7, lanthanides, actinides or combinations thereof and a dopant comprising a metal element, a semi-metal element, a non-metal element or combinations thereof. The methane is converted by the oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) reaction. The invention relates also to a method for the preparation of a downstream product of ethylene, the method comprising converting methane into ethylene in the presence of a catalytic nanowire and further oligomerizing the ethylene to prepare a downstream product of ethylene, such as gasoline, 1-hexene and/or 1-octene, wherein the catalytic nanowire is an inorganic nanowire comprising one or more metal elements from any of Groups 1 through 7, lanthanides, actinides or combinations thereof and a dopant comprising a metal element, a semi-metal element, a non-metal element or combinations thereof.