Direct conversion of methane to value-added hydrocarbons using hybrid catalysts of Ni/Al2O3 and K-Co/Al2O3

The direct conversion of methane (CH4) to value-added hydrocarbons (C2+) was studied using a hybrid catalyst, consisting of Ni/Al2O3 as the first catalyst layer to convert CH4 to carbon monoxide, and K-Co/Al2O3 as the second catalyst layer to convert carbon monoxide to C2+. Interestingly, this hybrid catalyst worked effectively at a relatively low temperature (490 degrees C) compared to other catalysts in the oxidative coupling of methane (over 700 degrees C). The effects of different operating conditions at atmospheric pressure were investigated. The highest C2+ yield at 4.3% C2+ yield was achieved at a reactor temperature of 490 degrees C. The K promoter played an essential role in enhancing the C2+ formation. A proposed mechanism was described for the reaction using the hybrid catalyst. Furthermore, a time-on-stream test of the hybrid catalyst over 24 h showed that the stability of the catalyst was excellent during the test.

Automated summary

This study investigated the direct conversion of methane (CH4) to value-added hydrocarbons (C2+) using a hybrid catalyst. The hybrid catalyst consisted of Ni/Al2O3 as the first catalyst layer to convert CH4 to carbon monoxide and K-Co/Al2O3 as the second catalyst layer to convert carbon monoxide to C2+. The hybrid catalyst exhibited effective performance at a relatively low temperature of 490 degrees C, compared to other catalysts used in methane oxidative coupling reactions. The study explored the effects of different operating conditions and found that the highest C2+ yield of 4.3% was achieved at a reactor temperature of 490 degrees C. The addition of K promoter played a crucial role in enhancing C2+ formation. The proposed mechanism for the reaction using the hybrid catalyst was described, and the stability of the catalyst was observed to be excellent during a 24-hour time-on-stream test.