Direct non-oxidative methane decomposition over silica-supported Co/Ni/Mo catalysts

Typically, the methods for converting methane can be categorized into two primary groups: direct and indirect. Among these, the direct non-oxidative conversion of methane to higher hydrocarbons has received a lot of interest in recent years due to its distinct advantages over the indirect routes. Several catalysts based on transitional metals such as Ni, Fe, Co, Mo, etc. have been reported for the methane conversion, employing different supports. This study focuses on the direct non-oxidative decomposition of methane using monometallic catalysts based on silica. The catalysts, specifically Co, Ni, and Mo, were impregnated to the pre-synthesized silica support. The synthesized catalysts were characterized for crystallite size, surface area, morphology and thermal stability using X-ray diffraction, porosimeter, scanning electron microscope and thermogravimetric analysis, respectively. The effect of reaction temperature, amount of catalyst, methane preheating, flow rate of methane and presence of promotors on the decomposition reaction was investigated.