Oxidative Coupling of Methane over a Sm/C and Mg/C Catalysts Using N2O as Oxidant

ABSTRACT This paper reports on the oxidative coupling of methane to C 2 hydrocarbons over magnesium and samarium - promoted carbon catalysts in the absence and presence of nitrous oxide. The kinetics of the methane conversion were studied in a flow system at the temperature 850 °C. Conversion of methane in the presence of Sm and Mg on active carbon without nitrous oxide was very low. In the presence of nitrous oxide, the conversion is greatly increased, and selectivity to C 2 hydrocarbons is also increased. With increased residence time and increasing amounts of nitrous oxide, ethane was dehydrogenated, forming ethylene.