Oxidative Coupling of Methane to Higher Hydrocarbons

Abstract

Natural gas is an abundant resource in various parts of the world. Methane is the major component of natural gas, often comprising over 90 mol% of the hydrocarbon fraction of the gas. Methane itself is primarily used as a fuel, while the nonmethane components can be separated and used as feedstocks for the production of chemicals or liquid fuels. In many cases, however, natural gas reserves are found in locations distant from their place of utilization. Since it is not generally economical to transport liquefied natural gas, efficient methods are needed to convert methane into transportable liquid products. A possible route is oxidative dimerization of methane followed by oligomer-ization of the C₂ products.