Non-oxidative coupling of methane catalysed by supported tungsten hydride onto alumina and silica-alumina in classical and H2 permeable membrane fixed-bed reactors

Abstract

Non-oxidative coupling of methane with high selectivity into ethane (>99% among hydrocarbon) in a classical fixed-bed reactor catalysed by SiO2-Al2O3 or γ-Al2O 3 supported tungsten hydride is presented. Continuous hydrogen separation, using a Pd-Ag membrane in a fixed-bed reactor, led to methane coupling far beyond the thermodynamic equilibrium conversion. © 2010 The Royal Society of Chemistry.