Dehydrogenation and aromatization of methane under non-oxidizing conditions

Abstract

The dehydrogenation and aromatization of methane on modified ZSM-5 zeolite catalysts has been studied under non-oxidizing conditions with a fixed bed continuous-flow reactor and with a temperature programmed reactor. The results show that benzene is the only hydrocarbon product of the catalytic conversion of methane at high temperature (973 K). The catalytic activity of ZSM-5 is greatly improved by incorporating a metal cation (Mo or Zn). H2 and ethene have been directly detected in the products with a mass spectrometer during TPAR. A carbenium ion mechanism for the activation of methane is suggested. © 1993 J.C. Baltzer AG, Science Publishers.