Decomposition of Methane to Carbon and Hydrogen: A Catalytic Perspective

Abstract

Catalytic decomposition of methane is a viable method of producing hydrogen and carbon nanomaterials. Hydrogen gas is mainly used as a reactant in the chemical industry, i.e., petrochemicals, glass, and pharmaceutical industries, whereas carbon may be used in direct carbon fuel cells or marketed as a filamentous carbon. Demand for carbon monoxide (CO)–free hydrogen continues to rise due to the increase in the number of its applications. Currently, a significant amount of hydrogen comes from gasification of natural gas, oxidation, and steam reforming of hydrocarbons. In all these technologies, CO is formed as a by‐product that requires tedious and costly processes to separate hydrogen from syngas. Herein, the recent literature on methane decomposition, methane reaction kinetics, catalyst performance, hydrogen yield, and formation of carbon nanomaterial are reviewed. The scope of this work is limited to direct conversion of methane into carbon and hydrogen; therefore, processes involving synthesis gas as intermediate products are not covered. Finally, catalysts that are often used in methane decomposition, their deactivation, and regeneration are discussed with the aim of documenting the foundation upon which an entirely new class of catalysts can be built to enhance their activity, selectivity, and yield.

Catalysts for the Simultaneous Production of Syngas and Carbon Nanofilaments Via Catalytic Decomposition of Biogas

“…Biogas is obtained from the process of the anaerobic digestion of organic compounds. Methane (40-70%) and carbon dioxide (30-60%) are the primary compounds of biogas [46]. One of its most common applications is the direct combustion for energy recovery through co-generation plants that produce electricity and heat.…”

Concentrated solar energy‐driven carbon black catalytic thermal decomposition of methane

“…In between the technologies competing for the production of hydrogen (H 2 ), catalytic thermal pyrolysis of methane (CH 4 ) is a promising approach. [6][7][8][9][10][11][12] When the catalyst is carbon black (CB), [13][14][15][16] the feedstock is methane and CB, and the products are H 2 and more CB. Using hightemperature concentrated solar energy to drive the thermal process, this H 2 is carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emission-free.…”

“…In between the technologies competing for the production of hydrogen (H 2 ), catalytic thermal pyrolysis of methane (CH 4 ) is a promising approach 6–12 . When the catalyst is carbon black (CB), 13–16 the feedstock is methane and CB, and the products are H 2 and more CB.…”

Hydrogen Production via Partial Oxidation Reforming of Methane with Gliding Arc Discharge Plasma

“…However, the decomposition of pure methane in the plasma reactor is extremely prone to generate large amounts of carbon depositions. [26] These carbons cover the electrode, change the discharge characteristics of the plasma area, and even lead to the termination of the discharge behavior, which greatly limits the application of the system. While when the inert gas like nitrogen was introduced into the plasma reactor as the carrier gas to solve this carbon deposits problem, [27,28] the large amounts of inert gas in the system will cause unnecessary energy consumption and reduce the production capacity of the reactor.…”