Catalytic microwave conversion of gaseous hydrocarbons
AssigneeThe Governors of the University of Alberta
InventorsDennis D. Tanner, Qizhu Ding
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Abstract
The method of the present invention is for producing at least hydrogen from a gaseous hydrocarbon. The gaseous hydrocarbon is selected from the group consisting of methane, ethane, butane, propane and combinations thereof. The method proceeds by exposing the gaseous hydrocarbon with the supported catalyst to microwave radiation. The supported catalyst has a support of a lattice of a non-metallic amorphous solid and at least one catalytic metal having atoms interspersed throughout the lattice of the support. A preferred embodiment is a lattice of carbon with at least one catalytic metal interspersed throughout the lattice. Examples include char.
Claims20
A method of producing a product gas from a gaseous hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of methane, ethane, butane, propane and combinations thereof, by placing the gaseous hydrocarbon with a catalyst and exposing them to microwave radiation, wherein the improvement comprises:
- providing an amount of a catalyst metal in a support that in a ratio of the catalyst metal to the gaseous hydrocarbon is less than 0.003 mole catalyst metal;
- said microwave radiation in an amount less than 1000 W;
- and
- providing either no hydrogen gas or an amount of hydrogen gas that is ineffective to the producing;
- wherein
- said product gas has less than 3 percent acetylene of the gaseous hydrocarbon.
A method of producing a product gas from a gaseous hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of methane, ethane, butane, propane and combinations thereof, by placing the gaseous hydrocarbon with a catalyst and exposing them to microwave radiation, wherein the improvement comprises:
- said catalyst is a supported catalyst having (a) a support of a lattice of a non-metallic amorphous solid;
- and (b) at least one catalytic metal having atoms interspersed throughout the lattice of the support;
- said microwave radiation in an amount less than 1000 W;
- and
- providing either no hydrogen gas or an amount of hydrogen gas that is ineffective to the producing;
- wherein
- said product gas has less than 3 percent acetylene of the gaseous hydrocarbon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.