Objective Objectives The partial oxidation of methane to ethylene/ethane and to methanol/formaldehyde is being investigated in a novel gas recycle reactor-separator. The units will employ a fixed-bed catalytic or electrocatalytic reactor with an optimized catalyst composition and an optimally designed swing-bed molecular sieve trap. The project is expected to demonstrate the technical feasibility of scale-up of the novel reactor-separator for the one-step oxidative coupling or partial oxidation of methane. Technical Approach The development of direct (one-step) and energy efficient process for the conversion of methane to ethylene and to methanol/formaldehyde has been a long-sought goal. Despite intensive research during the last twelve years, the maximum ethylene and formaldehyde yields obtained in laboratory-scale reactors until 1994 was of the order of 20% and 5% respectively. In 1994, one of the participating research teams (University of Patras) developed a novel laboratory scale gas-recycle reactor separator which gave ethylene yields up to 85% for the oxidative coupling of methane (OCM)(Science 254, 1583, 1994). In this novel reactor-separator ethylene and ethane are trapped, and thus protected from further oxidation, in a molecular sieve trap in the recycle loop. They are released by subsequent heating of the molecular sieve trap. The above very encouraging results were obtained in a small microreactor (catalyst mass 0.1g molecular sieve mass 2-3g) able to handle up to 3 ccSTP/min of CH4. The current objectives are: 1. To study the scale-up of the novel reactor-separator for ethylene production by building bench-scale units able to convert up to 1000 ccSTP/min of CH4 each to ethylene. 2. To construct and test a similar catalytic reactor-separator for the production of methanol/formaldehyde from methane (up to 1000 ccSTP/min). Efficient state-of-the-art catalysts and molecular trapping materials are already being produced and tested by the project team and preliminary results have already shown a five-fold enhancement in formaldehyde yield relative to single-pass conditions using the novel-reactor separator concept. Expected Achievements and Exploitation The outputs of this project are: - Specifications of the optimal catalyst, electrocatalyst and trapping materials for the novel reactor-separator units. - Design, construction and operation of prototype reactor-separator units at flowrates on the order of 1 l/min. The results will provide a firm technical basis for assessing the feasibility for developing new industrial processes for the one-step energy-efficient conversion of methane to ethylene and formaldehyde. Fields of science natural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryaldehydesnatural scienceschemical sciencescatalysiselectrocatalysisnatural scienceschemical scienceselectrochemistryelectrolysisnatural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryalcoholsnatural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryaliphatic compounds Programme(s) FP4-NNE-JOULE C - Specific programme for research and technological development, including demonstration in the field of non-nuclear energy, 1994-1998 Topic(s) 0202 - RUE in industry Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator University of Patras EU contribution No data Address Caratheodory St.1 26500 PATRAS Greece See on map Total cost No data Participants (5) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address Prince Consort Road SW7 2AZ LONDON See on map Total cost No data Lube Processing Corporation Greece EU contribution No data Address 10-12,Kifissias Street 15125 Amaroussio - Athens See on map Total cost No data Shell Research BV Netherlands EU contribution No data Address 3,Badhuisweg 1003 AA Amsterdam See on map Total cost No data University of Cambridge United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address Lensfield Road CB2 1EW Cambridge See on map Total cost No data Universität Karlsruhe (Technische Hochschule) Germany EU contribution No data Address 12,Kaiserstrasse 76128 Karlsruhe See on map Total cost No data