Impact of reactor materials on methane decomposition for hydrogen production

In this study, the catalytic effect of the internal surface of reactors constructed from stainless steel (SS310) for hydrogen production via methane decomposition has experimentally been proved and compared with a quartz-lined reactor. The effects of the methane decomposition temperature and volume-hourly-space velocity (VHSV) on hydrogen production, conversion of methane, and initial decomposition rates were investigated in an SS310 lab-scale reactor. Within the duration of the experiments, no change was recorded for hydrogen and methane concentration in all the experiments. The catalytic activity of the SS310 reactor's internal surface increased with increasing methane decomposition temperature (850-950 degrees C) and decreasing VHSV (37-52 h(-1)). The as-produced carbon was characterized using surface texture analysis, X-ray, and SEM-EDX. (C) 2021 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Institution of Chemical Engineers.

Automated summary

The study experimentally demonstrated the catalytic effect of the internal surface of reactors made from stainless steel (SS310) on hydrogen production via methane decomposition, and investigated the effects of methane decomposition temperature and volume-hourly-space velocity on hydrogen production. The results showed that the catalytic activity of the SS310 reactor's internal surface increased with higher methane decomposition temperature and lower VHSV.