Technology for Producing Hydrogen and Carbon Nanofibers from Natural Gas

A technology for producing hydrogen and carbon nanofibers from natural gas is considered. A catalyst that actively and stably operated at temperatures of 700-750 degrees C was developed to achieve high conversions of methane. The genesis of its phase composition was investigated using electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. The modification of a 75%Ni-12%Cu/Al2O3 catalyst with iron oxide led to the formation of a ternary Ni-Cu-Fe alloy. The method developed for producing hydrogen effectively worked with the use of not only methane but also natural gas as a feedstock. An installation with a rotating reactor for producing hydrogen and carbon nanofibers from natural gas made it possible to carry out the process on a 70%Ni-10%Cu-10%Fe/Al2O3 catalyst for 20-30 h. The hydrogen concentration at the reactor outlet was higher than 70 mol %. The yield of hydrogen reached 590 L per gram of the catalyst.