Decomposition of methane in the presence of ethanol over activated carbon catalyst

The interest in hydrogen as a potential fuel of the future has stimulated development of new technologies of its production. The main method of hydrogen production is based on the process of steam reforming of methane, but recently increasing attention has been paid to the catalytic decomposition of methane (CDM) whose advantage is its pro-ecological character. This reaction, besides hydrogen, produces also catalytically low-active carbonaceous deposit which settles on the surface of the catalyst and leads to its deactivation. The study reported is an attempt at suppressing the catalyst deactivation by developing a method leading to formation of carbonaceous deposit potentially active in CDM process. For this purpose, it was proposed that the reaction system would contain methane and ethanol. Simultaneous decomposition of these two substances was performed in parallel at three temperatures of 750, 850 or 950 °C. The catalyst was activated carbon obtained from the hazelnut shells. The addition of ethanol was found to have a positive effect on the course of CDM, leading to an increase in the amount of hydrogen produced and to stabilisation of the catalyst activity at a high level.