Hydrogen-Permeable Tubular Membrane Reactor: Promoting Conversion and Product Selectivity for Non-Oxidative Activation of Methane over an Fe©SiO2 Catalyst

Non-oxidative methane conversion over Fe (c) SiO2 catalyst was studied for the first time in a hydrogen (H-2) permeable tubular membrane reactor. The membrane reactor is composed of a mixed ionic-electronic SrCe0.7Zr0.2Eu0.1O3- thin film (approximate to 20m) supported on the outer surface of a one-end capped porous SrCe0.8Zr0.2O3- tube. Significant improvement in CH4 conversion was achieved upon H-2 removal from the membrane reactor compared to that in a fixed-bed reactor. The Fe (c) SiO2 catalyst in the H-2 permeable membrane reactor demonstrated a stable approximate to 30% C2+ single-pass yield, with up to 30% CH4 conversion and 99% selectivity to C-2 (ethylene and acetylene) and aromatic (benzene and naphthalene) products, at the tested conditions. The selectivity towards C-2 or aromatics was manipulated purposely by adding H-2 into or removing H-2 from the membrane reactor feed and permeate gas streams.