Oxypyrolysis of natural gas

The IFP oxypyrolysis process for the conversion of natural gas to olefins combines the oxidative coupling of methane, a heterogeneously catalysed reaction producing ethane as a primary product, with the steam cracking of ethane, a homogeneous gas-phase reaction producing ethylene and hydrogen as primary products. In the presence of added ethane, the oxidative coupling of methane proceeds at lower methane conversion and C2+ selectivity. However, if the ethane is added to the post-catalyst bed region of the reactor after the majority of molecular oxygen has been consumed, both methane conversion and C2+ selectivity remain high while a substantial portion of the added ethane is converted to ethylene plus hydrogen. This process is therefore able to upgrade all the alkane components, not only the methane, in natural gas.