Methane from natural gas

A mixture of the two reactants carbon monoxide and hydrogen is called synthesis gas and IS prepared by several processes The most widely used route to synthesis gas employs methane (from natural gas) and gives a 3 1 hydrogen to carbon monoxide ratio... 

Hydrocarbon—Sulfur Process. The principal commercial hydrocarbon is methane from natural gas, although ethane, and olefins such as propylene (45,46), have also been used. 

The hydrogen for reaction with nitrogen in the air is obtained by reacting methane (from natural gas found in underground deposits) with water, as shown in the above equation. 

Ammonia is synthesised from its elements nitrogen and hydrogen. The nitrogen is obtained by the fractional distillation of liquid air. The hydrogen is obtained by the reaction of methane (from natural gas) with steam. 

In contrast to the acetic acid case study, there are many important reactions wherein the temperature has a significant effect on the enthalpies. Consider, for example, reaction 2.13, which represents one of the industrial processes for manufacturing acetylene using methane (from natural gas) as the starting material. 

Compare using methane from natural gas with using methane from methane hydrates in terms of environmental impact and efficiency. You will need to do some research to find out extraction methods for each source of methane. 

Synthesis gas is made by decomposing methane (from natural gas) in the presence of water. The reaction takes place at high pressure and temperature in the presence of a catalyst. The proportion of H2 and CO depends on the amount of CO2 that is left in the product stream or is recycled to be converted to CO/Ho. Most synthesis gas plants are built adjacent to the plants where the synthesis gas will be used. 

Syngas can also be made using naphtha or other hydrocarbon feedstocks, and now the most promising source of synthesis gas is methane from natural gas,... 

In Figure A.6, an indication is given of the nature of a practical plant for the isothermal oxidation of methane from natural gas. The heavy hydrocarbons are removed from the natural gas and sent to the combustion chamber of a gas turbine, to be burnt in air with the hot mixed exhaust from the fuel cell of unused fuel, steam and carbon dioxide. 

Reaction of Steam on Hydrocarbons. The catalytic interaction of steam and hydrocarbons has been used commercially on a large scale. The thermal cracking of hydrocarbons is an important part of petroleum refining and produces a large amount of hydrogen. The reaction of steam on methane from natural gas at about 1100 °C is... 

As stated above, some of the chemicals and compounds produced in a refinery are destined for further processing and as raw material feedstocks for the fast growing petrochemical industry. Such nonfuel uses of crude oil products are sometimes referred to as its nonenergy uses. Petroleum products and natural gas provide two of the basic starting points for this industry methane from natural gas, and naphtha and refinery gases. 

Natural gas liquids are products other than methane from natural gas ethane, butane, iso-butane, and propane. Natural gasoline may also be included in this group. 

Rather recently, in Western Europe, methane from natural gas or from refineries has been preferred to feed steam reformers. Natural gas liquid has not been available to steam crackers as in the United States. 

Another interesting field involving membrane reactors is the partial oxidation of methane to methanol, which is a process for the catalytic conversion of methane from natural gas and air oxygen to methanol by the partial oxidation as well as the steam reforming of methane, ethanol or glycerol for hydrogen production (Basile et a/., 2011 lulianelli et al, 2010,2011). 

The thermal process produces low-structure blacks of fairly large particle size. These have certain niche applications and, hence, while not as economically attractive as the furnace ronte, some thermal black continues to be made. The process is carried out batch-wise by decomposing methane (from natural gas) into carbon and hydrogen in the absence of air, in a furnace at about 1300 °C. The furnace is preheated by burning an air-fuel mixture, the fuel often being the hydrogen from the process itself. 

---