Methane pyrolysis is an emerging technology which allows the utilisation of abundant natural gas resources to produce low or zero emission hydrogen and a solid carbon by-product. This can be achieved by bubbling methane through a solution of molten salt which acts as a heat transfer medium and a catalyst. Catalytic methane decomposition occurs at the gas-liquid interface of the bubble and deactivation of the catalyst is prevented as the carbon floats to the surface where it can be separated. The catalytic activity is dependent on the type of salt and the coordination complexes that form within the melt. We show here how changing the concetration of different cations and anions in the salt can be used to tune the catalytic activity of the melt and allow the reaction temperature to be lowered. The conversion, selectivity and stability of the melt and the quality of the carbon by-product are characterised to determine properties which allow a catalytic molten salt bubble column reactor to be operated continuously at large scale.

Low emission hydrogen production from methane pyrolysis in catalytic molten salt bubble columns

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