Catalytic conversion of methane and natural gas to condensable hydrocarbons

Abstract

Catalytic processes are taught for oxidative chemical conversion of gaseous reactants comprising methane, natural gas or other gaseous compounds combined with air or oxygen to products and catalytic methanation of resulting oxidized products comprising alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, glycol ethers and aldols to condensable hydrocarbons using methane, natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbons. Gaseous reactants including methane, ethane, propane, oxides of carbon, unsaturated compounds and other organic compounds with conversion to condensable hydrocarbons by this catalytic process. The catalysts are based on di-metal, tri-metal and/or poly-metal backbone or molecular string type compounds of transition metals, comprising titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold and combinations thereof in conjunction with a non-fluoride magnesium halide.

1 . A rapid (less than 30 minutes) process for catalytic oxidative chemical conversion of gaseous reactants comprising methane, natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbons combined with air, oxygen or polar reactants to products and catalytic methanation of resulting oxidized products comprising alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, glycol ethers and carbon oxides to condensable hydrocarbons using reactants comprising methane, natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbon reducing agents, where no hydrogen gas, strong oxidizing agents or electromagnetic energy of any type were employed, catalysts being made from di-metal, tri-metal and/or poly-metal backbone or molecular string type compounds of transition metals, comprising titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold and combinations thereof in conjunction with a non-fluoride promoter comprising magnesium chloride, bromide or iodide. 
     
     
         2 . A rapid (less than 30 minutes) process for catalytic oxidative chemical conversion of gaseous reactants comprising methane, natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbons combined with air, oxygen or polar reactants to products and catalytic methanation of resulting oxidized products comprising alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, glycol ethers and carbon oxides to condensable hydrocarbons using reactants comprising methane, natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbon reducing agents, where no hydrogen gas, strong oxidizing agents or electromagnetic energy of any type were employed, catalysts being made from di-metal, tri-metal and/or poly-metal backbone or molecular string type compounds of transition metals, comprising titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold and combinations thereof in conjunction with a non-fluoride promoter comprising magnesium chloride, bromide or iodide at temperatures between 330° C. and 450° C. 
     
     
         3 . A rapid (less than 30 minutes) process for catalytic oxidative chemical conversion of gaseous reactants comprising methane, natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbons combined with air, oxygen or polar reactants to products and catalytic methanation of resulting oxidized products comprising alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, glycol ethers and carbon oxides to condensable hydrocarbons using reactants comprising methane, natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbon reducing agents, where no hydrogen gas, strong oxidizing agents or electromagnetic energy of any type were employed, catalysts being made from di-metal, tri-metal and/or poly-metal backbone or molecular string type compounds of transition metals, comprising titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold and combinations thereof in conjunction with a non-fluoride promoter comprising magnesium chloride, bromide or iodide at temperatures between 330° C. and 450° C., and pressures of less than 20 atmospheres. 
     
     
         4 . A rapid (less than 30 minutes) process for catalytic oxidative chemical conversion of gaseous reactants comprising methane, natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbons combined with air, oxygen or polar reactants to products and catalytic methanation of resulting oxidized products comprising alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, glycol ethers and carbon oxides to condensable hydrocarbons using reactants comprising methane, natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbon reducing agents catalysts being made from di-metal, tri-metal and/or poly-metal backbone or molecular string type compounds of transition metals, comprising titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold and combinations thereof in conjunction with a non-fluoride promoter comprising magnesium chloride, bromide or iodide. 
     
     
         5 . A rapid (less than 30 minutes) process for catalytic oxidative chemical conversion of gaseous reactants comprising methane, natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbons combined with air, oxygen or polar reactants to products and catalytic methanation of resulting oxidized products comprising alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, glycol ethers and carbon oxides to condensable hydrocarbons using reactants comprising methane, natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbon reducing agents catalysts being made from di-metal, tri-metal and/or poly-metal backbone or molecular string type compounds of transition metals, comprising titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold and combinations thereof in conjunction with a non-fluoride promoter comprising magnesium chloride, bromide or iodide at temperatures between 330° C. and 450° C. 
     
     
         6 . A rapid (less than 30 minutes) process for catalytic oxidative chemical conversion of gaseous reactants comprising methane, natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbons combined with air, oxygen or polar reactants to products and catalytic methanation of resulting oxidized products comprising alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, glycol ethers and carbon oxides to condensable hydrocarbons using reactants comprising methane, natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbon reducing agents catalysts being made from di-metal, tri-metal and/or poly-metal backbone or molecular string type compounds of transition metals, comprising titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold and combinations thereof in conjunction with a non-fluoride promoter comprising magnesium chloride, bromide or iodide at temperatures between 330° C. and 450° C., and pressures of less than 20 atmospheres. 
     
     
         7 . A process for catalytic oxidative chemical conversion of gaseous reactants comprising methane, natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbons combined with air or oxygen to products and catalytic methanation of resulting oxidized products comprising alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, glycol ethers and carbon oxides to condensable hydrocarbons using reactants comprising methane, natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbon reducing agents catalysts being made from di-metal, tri-metal and/or poly-metal backbone or molecular string type compounds of transition metals, comprising titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold and combinations thereof in conjunction with a non-fluoride promoter comprising magnesium chloride, bromide or iodide. 
     
     
         8 . A process for catalytic oxidative chemical conversion of gaseous reactants comprising methane, natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbons combined with air or oxygen to products and catalytic methanation of resulting oxidized products comprising alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, glycol ethers and carbon oxides to condensable hydrocarbons using reactants comprising methane, natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbon reducing agents catalysts being made from di-metal, tri-metal and/or poly-metal backbone or molecular string type compounds of transition metals, comprising titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold and combinations thereof in conjunction with a non-fluoride promoter comprising magnesium chloride, bromide or iodide at temperatures between 330° C. and 450° C. 
     
     
         9 . A process for catalytic oxidative chemical conversion of gaseous reactants comprising methane, natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbons combined with air or oxygen to products and catalytic methanation of resulting oxidized products comprising alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, glycol ethers and carbon oxides to condensable hydrocarbons using reactants comprising methane, natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbon reducing agents catalysts being made from di-metal, tri-metal and/or poly-metal backbone or molecular string type compounds of transition metals, comprising titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold and combinations thereof in conjunction with a non-fluoride promoter comprising magnesium chloride, bromide or iodide at temperatures between 330° C. and 450° C., and pressures of less than 20 atmospheres. 
     
     
         10 . A process for catalytic chemical conversion of gaseous reactants comprising methane, natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbons combined with air or oxygen to products comprising condensable hydrocarbons using catalysts made from di-metal, tri-metal and/or poly-metal backbone or molecular string type compounds of transition metals, comprising titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold and combinations thereof in conjunction with a non-fluoride promoter comprising magnesium chloride, bromide or iodide. 
     
     
         11 . A process for catalytic chemical conversion of gaseous reactants comprising methane, natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbons combined with air or oxygen to products comprising condensable hydrocarbons using catalysts made from di-metal, tri-metal and/or poly-metal backbone or molecular string type compounds of transition metals, comprising titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold and combinations thereof in conjunction with a non-fluoride promoter comprising magnesium chloride, bromide or iodide at temperatures between 330° C. and 450° C. 
     
     
         12 . A process for catalytic chemical conversion of gaseous reactants comprising methane, natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbons combined with air or oxygen to products comprising condensable hydrocarbons using catalysts made from di-metal, tri-metal and/or poly-metal backbone or molecular string type compounds of transition metals, comprising titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold and combinations thereof in conjunction with a non-fluoride promoter comprising magnesium chloride, bromide or iodide at temperatures between 330° C. and 450° C., and pressures of less than 20 atmospheres.