Thermal decomposition of pure methane at 1263 K. Experiments and mechanistic modelling

Pyrolysis of methane at 1263 K and at normal pressure was carried out in an alumina tube (length, 610 mm; inside diameter, 12 mm; outside diameter, 18 mm), which was heated by an electric furnace. The input concentration of CH 4 was 10.308 × 10 −6 mol cm −3 . The reaction times ranged between 0.457 and 6 s. The products were analyzed by two chromatographs. Carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide were analyzed by an IR spectrometer. A reaction model, based on 119 elementary reactions, was developed to predict the experimental results and to verify the data basis on elementary reactions under the conditions of temperature studied. The model gives a quantitative description of the complex chemistry of the process and the information of products from C 2 to C 6 H 6 .