Hydrogen-Permeable Tubular Membrane Reactor: Promoting Conversion and Product Selectivity for Non-Oxidative Activation of Methane over an Fe©SiO2 Catalyst.

Non-oxidative methane conversion over Fe©SiO2 catalyst was studied for the first time in a hydrogen (H2 ) permeable tubular membrane reactor. The membrane reactor is composed of a mixed ionic-electronic SrCe0.7 Zr0.2 Eu0.1 O3-δ thin film (≈20 μm) supported on the outer surface of a one-end capped porous SrCe0.8 Zr0.2 O3-δ tube. Significant improvement in CH4 conversion was achieved upon H2 removal from the membrane reactor compared to that in a fixed-bed reactor. The Fe©SiO2 catalyst in the H2 permeable membrane reactor demonstrated a stable ≈30 % C2+ single-pass yield, with up to 30 % CH4 conversion and 99 % selectivity to C2 (ethylene and acetylene) and aromatic (benzene and naphthalene) products, at the tested conditions. The selectivity towards C2 or aromatics was manipulated purposely by adding H2 into or removing H2 from the membrane reactor feed and permeate gas streams.