Methane and methanol oxidation to formaldehyde

Formaldehyde production from natural gas is one of the most promising directions in modem chemical industry. However, the industrial realization of producing formaldehyde from methane is hampered by severe disadvantages, among which the most important are the low yields of the target product and multiple side reaction products. Therefore, the task in hand is the development of direct selective oxidation of methane to formaldehyde without formation of admixtures, which require additional thorough purification. 

In this connection, it should be expected that the application of chemical conjugation will allow oxidation of methane to formaldehyde with hydrogen peroxide according to a new reaction mechanism. 

Conjugated Reactions of Oxidation with Hydrogen Peroxide in the Gas Phase 

It also follows from these experiments that the formation of formaldehyde in low amounts is explained by the presence of methanol in the initial mixture, because under current conditions H202 is mostly consumed for its deep oxidation. Similar results were obtained at methanol oxidation with hydrogen peroxide in the absence of methane (Table 4.3, tests 9-11). Comparison of these data with the results of methane oxidation with hydrogen peroxide under identical conditions (tests 1 and 2) indicates qualitative and quantitative differences in reaction products. 

Based on the above results, it may be concluded that selective oxidation of methane to formaldehyde with hydrogen peroxide is implemented by a mechanism different from that in which methanol is formed as the intermediate oxidation product [115]. 

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