Microwave irradiation provides a means for precise and site-selective activating of heterogeneous catalysts for organic reactions or materials processing. Microwave energy can be delivered directly to the reacting species and/or adsorbing catalyst where it influences localized electronic properties of the materials and reaction intermediates at interface. Microwave-enhanced thermocatalytic reactions offer potential benefits to the process industry by providing: 1) precise and selective heating, applying heat directly to the catalyst for improved energy efficiency and selectivity 2) much more rapid heating than conventional means, and 3) reduced process footprint, enabling process intensification. This paper presents microwave catalysis application in two reactions: (1) simultaneous conversion of CH4/N2 to form ammonia and ethylene under ambient pressure, and (2)process intensified natural gas dehydroaromatization. Deactivation by coke formation and regeneration of catalyst are major challenges facing methane or ethane dehydroaromatization. Conventionally, oxidative regeneration was adopted. However, due to highly exothermic oxidative regeneration, metal sintering would take place. Attempt was made to regenerate the catalyst using CO2 under microwave irradiation: CO2 + C= 2CO. Microwave allows to achieve the selectivity and yield that cannot be obtained from conventional thermally heated reactor.

Microwave-enhanced catalytic conversion of natural gas

ACS Fall 2021

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