Process for the production of ethane and/or ethylene from methane

US4608449A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Manfred Baerns · DE

Inventors

• Manfred Baerns · Berlin, DE
• Wilhelm Hinsen · Ratingen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 2, 1983
• Grant date: Aug 26, 1986
• Expiry date: Jun 2, 2003

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S585/943
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Process and device for the production of ethane and/or ethylene by heterogeneous catalytic reaction of methane and oxygen using a catalyst suitable for the formation of C.sub.2 hydrocarbons at increased temperatures, whereby in continuous operation a mixture of methane and oxygen is reacted at temperatures between 500.degree. and 900.degree. C. and at an oxygen partial pressure of less than 0.5 bar at the reactor entrance, while the ratio of the methane partial pressure to the oxygen partial pressure is greater than 1. The conversion reaction takes place with or without gas recycling in a reactor containing a bed of solid catalyst or by the use of a fluidized bed of fluidized catalyst particles, or in a cross-flow reactor with distributed input of oxygen.