Research continued on the study of catalysts and membrane materials involved in the oxidative coupling of methane and coal gasification processes. Membranes studied and fabricated included Sr-Zr-Y-O, Sr-Zr-Y, and Sr-Ce-Y-O systems.

Catalytic gasification work has been completed and no other work is planned in the general area of catalytic gasification of coals and chars has operated without a post-doctoral fellow because of budget limitations during the first two quarters of FY1994. Dr. S. Sundararajan joined the group in April 1994 and will be assigned to the project throughout the remaining of the fiscal year. Results published by Hamakawa, et al. in The Journal of the Electrochemical Society have confirmed the concept of methane coupling via a membrane reactor. These findings confirm our previous conclusion that thinner membranes and increased surface activity for C-H bond activation at low temperatures are required in order to reach commercially attractive rates of reaction. The initial analysis of a theoretical model comparing the membrane and cyclic processes has been completed. The results indicate that perovskite membranes on the order of 50 microns will be needed for the membrane operation to be superior to a cyclic one. Two techniques, laser ablation and spin-coating/sol-gel chemistry are being tried to prepare the thin membranes described above. Studies of the magnetochemical properties of the calcium-nickel-potassium oxide powdered catalysts have been concluded and a manuscript describing the work has been completed. Synchrotron x-ray fluorescence microprobe data for calcium-nickel-potassium films have been analyzed and an abstract of the results has been submitted for presentation at the Fall Meeting of the Materials Research Society. Initial films of strontium-zirconium oxide, using yttria-stabilized zirconia as a buffer layer, have been fabricated using pulsed laser deposition. X-ray diffraction data have been obtained for several of the strontium-zirconium-yttrium oxide films.

This report describes research on the oxidative coupling of methane and catalysts involved in coal gasification. Topics include methane pyrolysis and catalysts, and magnetic properties of the coal gasification catalyst Ca-Ni-K-O system.

Work will continue on the oxidative coupling reaction of methane over ternary oxide catalysts to produce C2, C3 and C4 hydrocarbons and Particularly Olefins with high selectivity. The work which has shown that close to 100% selectivity can be obtained has received wide attention and has resulted in collaborative efforts with industry (CRADA) towards the development of a commercial process. An immediate purpose of additional work is to increase the conversion without diminishing the extremely high selectivity of the reaction and also to permit operation at higher space velocity to reduce equipment size. The mechanism of this reaction is not understood and much additional work is needed to explain the role of carbon formation and of water as intermediates in the reaction and to investigate whether carbon oxides are intermediates. It has been found that oxides other than calcium-nickel-potassium oxides can be useful catalysts for this reaction in the presence of steam and at relatively low temperatures and long contact times. Better definition of the class of binary metal oxides is required and better catalyst characterization is needed to ensure reproducibility Of catalyst preparation and operational results. Pretreatment of the catalyst should be shortened and higher space velocities must be obtained. Close collaboration with Orion ACT is required to advance the project toward the pilot plant stage. In the area of coal and char catalytic steam gasification, the large volume of data obtained at atmospheric pressure will be extended to operations at higher pressures.