Partial oxidation of methane into formaldehyde on a catalysis-separation reactor

The use of a catalysis-separation reactor and the addition of vapour will promote the partial oxidation of methane into formaldehyde. The single-pass yield of CH2O can arrive at 20.5%. This result is much better than those obtained on the supported solid catalysts. When industrially pure oxygen is selected as an oxidant in the reaction, the reaction exit gases cannot only act as the good combustive gases, but can also be used cyclically in the reaction. However, the concentration of the produced CH2O is very low, about 0.5-1.0 wt%, due to the addition of vapour in the process of reaction. By using the extraction agent, 1-octanol solidified on active C, the produced dilute CH2O can be effectively condensed. The efficiency of extraction can reach 34%. The method provides a possibility for an industrial application of the reaction. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.