Pyrolysis of Methane to Higher Hydrocarbons: A Thermodynamic Study

Abstract

Some basic thermodynamic parameters such as Gibbs free energies, enthalpies of reactions and equilibrium compositions of products from the pyrolysis and partial oxidation of methane to higher hydrocarbons in the gas phase have been determined within a consistent framework for the temperature range 800-1500 K and the pressure range 0.1-3 MPa , by using the CSIRO-SGTE THERMODATA system. It has been established that the pyrolysis of methane to higher hydrocarbons, e.g. acetylene, ethylene, ethane, prop-1-ene, propane, benzene, toluene, naphthalene, 1-methylnaphthalene and 2-methylnaphthalene, considered as separate reactions, is a highly endothermic reaction with the Gibbs free energies for the individual reactions being positive until 1300 K. The aromatics are thermodynamically most favoured with the equilibrium yields increasing with temperature. Addition of O₂ lowers the heats of synthesis and the free energies for methane conversion but no enhancement in the equilibrium yields of hydrocarbons is observed. When solid carbon is allowed, it is the dominant product in all cases with the equilibrium yields for all hydrocarbons becoming negligible. Increasing the pressure at a particular temperature has more effect on the lowering of the equilibrium conversion of methane than on the suppression of solid carbon. Such data are valuable for understanding the conversion limits for methane into higher hydrocarbons.