1984 Volume 10 Issue 1 Pages 82-88
The reaction paths and kinetics of methanol to methane on a nickel catalyst were studied in a flow tubular reactor at 200-400°C and atmospheric pressure. When the time factor was small, carbon monoxide and hydrogen formed at the proportion of 1 to 2, respectively, by decomposing methanol. As the time factor increased, methane was produced by the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide and then carbon dioxide by the water-gas shift reaction. The kinetics of hydrogenation of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide and of water-gas shift reaction were investigated on the same catalyst at 250°C. In the case of hydrogenation of carbon monoxide, methane and water were mainly produced and carbon dioxide was formed as a by-product. In the water-gas shift reaction, carbon dioxide and hydrogen were formed but the formation of carbon dioxide decreased with increasing amount of hydrogen.
In the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide, only methanation took place, but this reaction was inhibited by the presence of carbon monoxide. Experimental data of methanol-to-methane formation were in good agreement with the results calculated by using the kinetics of the respective reactions.
