Methane, from

C with partial decomposition. Synthesized from methanal and ammonia. Hexamine is used as starter fuel for camping stoves, as an... 

Resins formed from the reaction of poly(vinyl alcohol) with aldehydes. The formal derivative (from methanal) is used in wire coatings and adhesives and the bulyral (from butanal) is used in metal paints, wood-sealers, adhesives and in safety glass interlayers. 

An alkyl group lacks one of the hydrogens of an alkane A methyl group (CH3 —) is an alkyl group derived from methane (CH4) Unbranched alkyl groups m which the point of attachment is at the end of the chain are named m lUPAC nomenclature by replac mg the ane endings of Table 2 2 by yl... 

Each chlorine atom formed m the initiation step has seven valence electrons and IS very reactive Once formed a chlorine atom abstracts a hydrogen atom from methane as shown m step 2 m Figure 4 21 Hydrogen chloride one of the isolated products from... 

Step 2 Hydrogen atom abstraction from methane by a chlorine atom... 

Formation of reactive ions (CH," ) from methane (CH4) reagent gas and their reaction with sample molecules (M) to form protonated molecular ions [M + Hp. 

Amm oxida tion, a vapor-phase reaction of hydrocarbon with ammonia and oxygen (air) (eq. 2), can be used to produce hydrogen cyanide (HCN), acrylonitrile, acetonitrile (as a by-product of acrylonitrile manufacture), methacrylonitrile, hen onitrile, and toluinitnles from methane, propylene, butylene, toluene, and xylenes, respectively (4). 

Synthesis gas is obtained either from methane reforming or from coal gasification (see Coal conversion processes). Telescoping the methanol carbonylation into an esterification scheme furnishes methyl acetate directly. Thermal decomposition of methyl acetate yields carbon and acetic anhydride,... 

It is convenient to divide the petrochemical industry into two general sectors (/) olefins and (2) aromatics and their respective derivatives. Olefins ate straight- or branched-chain unsaturated hydrocarbons, the most important being ethylene (qv), [74-85-1] propjiene (qv) [115-07-17, and butadiene (qv) [106-99-0J. Aromatics are cycHc unsaturated hydrocarbons, the most important being benzene (qv) [71-43-2] toluene (qv) [108-88-3] p- s.y en.e [106-42-3] and (9-xylene [95-47-5] (see Xylenes and ethylbenzene) There are two other large-volume petrochemicals that do not fall easily into either of these two categories ammonia (qv) [7664-41-7] and methanol (qv) [67-56-1]. These two products ate derived primarily from methane [74-82-8] (natural gas) (see Hydrocarbons, c -c ). 

Historically, formaldehyde has been and continues to be manufactured from methanol. EoUowing World War II, however, as much as 20% of the formaldehyde produced in the United States was made by the vapor-phase, noncatalytic oxidation of propane and butanes (72). This nonselective oxidation process produces a broad spectmm of coproducts (73) which requites a complex cosdy separation system (74). Hence, the methanol process is preferred. The methanol raw material is normally produced from synthesis gas that is produced from methane. 

One possible route is to make formaldehyde direcdy from methane by partial oxidation. This process has been extensively studied (106—108). The incentive for such a process is reduction of raw material costs by avoiding the capital and expense of producing the methanol from methane. 

Fig. 8. BASF burner for the production of acetylene from methane or light naphtha (14).

FoUowiag Monsanto s success, several companies produced membrane systems to treat natural gas streams, particularly the separation of carbon dioxide from methane. The goal is to produce a stream containing less than 2% carbon dioxide to be sent to the national pipeline and a permeate enriched ia carbon dioxide to be flared or reinjected into the ground. CeUulose acetate is the most widely used membrane material for this separation, but because its carbon dioxide—methane selectivity is only 15—20, two-stage systems are often required to achieve a sufficient separation. The membrane process is generally best suited to relatively small streams, but the economics have slowly improved over the years and more than 100 natural gas treatment plants have been installed. 

Chemical Processing. The use of oxygen in large-volume chemical and petrochemical manufacture is weU-estabHshed as a result of advantages 3) and 4). Most oxidation reactions are catalytic many begin with a feedstock initially made catalyticaHy from methane or natural gas. 

Within the saturates in petroleum gases and naphtha, except for a few highly branched components in the Cg—C q range, every possible paraffin from methane to normal decane is present. Depending on the source, one of the low hoiling paraffins may be the most abundant compound in a... 

Carbon black, also classed as an inorganic petrochemical, is made predominandy by the partial combustion of carbonaceous (organic) material in a limited supply of air. Carbonaceous sources vary from methane to aromatic petroleum oils to coal tar by-products. Carbon black is used primarily for the production of synthetic mbber (see Carbon, carbon black). 

Commercial-scale processes have been developed for the production of hydrogen sulfide from heavy fuel oils and sulfur as well as from methane, water vapor, and sulfur. The latter process can be carried out in two steps reaction of methane with sulfur to form carbon disulfide and hydrogen sulfide followed by hydrolysis of carbon disulfide (116). 

Many attempts have been made to synthesi2e cubic BN at low pressures by some sort of chemical vapor deposition process in analogy with the low pressure deposition of diamond from methane in the presence of H atoms (see Diamond, synthetic). However, the amounts of cubic BN produced in this fashion in 1991 were miniscule, and were at best thin layers only a few do2en atoms thick (12). 

Hexachloroethane has been suggested as a degasifter in the manufacture of aluminum and magnesium metals. Hexachloroethane has been used as a chain-transfer agent in the radiochemical emulsion preparation of propylene tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (152). It has also been used as a chlorinating agent in the production of methyl chloride from methane (153). 

Whereas an explosion from methane tends to be localized, it may start coal dust explosions resulting in more widespread injury and loss of life. AH coal breaking operations result in formation of fine coal particles some are controlled with water during the mining operation. Breakage associated with hauling disperses dust, and dust accumulations can be made safe by rockdusting. Powdered limestone is spread over the mine surfaces to cover the dust. 

By proper selection of catalyst and reaction conditions, hydrocarbons and oxygenates ranging from methane and methanol through high (> 10,000) molecular weight paraffin waxes can be synthesized as iadicated ia Figure 11 (44). 

Eberle, F., and Wylie, R. D., Attack on Metals by Synthesis Gas from Methane-Oxygen Combustion, Corrosion, 15 (12) 622t-26t (1959). 

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