SPONTANEOUS NATURAL GAS OXIDATIVE DIMERIZATION ACROSS MIXED CONDUCTING CERAMIC MEMBRANES

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS ARE DIRECTED TOWARD PROMOTING THE THERMODYNAMICALLY DOWNHILL METHANE OXIDATIVE DIMERIZATION REACTION TO YIELD ETHYLENE ACROSS MIXED IONIC AND ELECTRONIC CONDUCTING PEROVSKITE CERAMIC MEMBRANES AT 750 DEGREES CENTIGRADE. THIS PROCESS RESULTS IN THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF NATURAL GAS TO AN INHERENTLY MORE VALUABLE CHEMICAL COMMODITY WITHOUT REQUIRING ANY ENERGY INPUT OR CAPITAL-INTENSIVE EQUIPMENT. APPLICATION OF THE FINAL TECHNOLOGY WILL BE SIMPLE AND INHERENTLY INEXPENSIVE. INITIAL METHANE ACTIVATION RELIES UPON OXYGEN ANIONIC SPECIES BEING CONTINUOUSLY GENERATED AT AN APPROPRIATELY SELECTED CATALYST SITE ON THE OXIDIZING SIDE OF THE MEMBRANE, WHERE HYDROGEN ABSTRACTION FROM METHANE TO INITIATE THE OVERALL REACTION PROCEEDS. MIXED ANIONIC AND ELECTRONIC CONDUCTING MEMBRANES STUDIED IN THIS PHASE I PROJECT ALSO INCORPORATE SELECTED METHANE ACTIVATION SITES FOR PROMOTING THE SUBJECT REACTION.