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.

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.

This report covers the time period from October 1 through December 31, 1993. A description of tasks for fiscal year 1994 is included in this report. Highlights and progress of work performed during this quarter is reported in (a) catalytic steam gasification of coals and cokes; (b) oxidative coupling of methane; and (c) synthesis and characterization of catalysts. Attached to this report is a copy of a manuscript submitted to Proceeding of Fuels Technology Contractors Meeting {open_quotes}Steady-State and Transient Catalytic Oxidation and Coupling of Methane{close_quotes} by Heinemann, Iglesia, and Perry.

Work on catalytic steam gasification with chars and coals will be extended from atmospheric to elevated pressures using the newly built pressure unit. The novel finding that coking of petroleum in the presence of small amounts of caustic greatly improves the gasification rates and characteristics of the coke will be extended to chars; in the oxidative coupling of methane over ternary catalysts, emphasis will be placed on low temperature coupling and on the oxidative production of syngas from methane at low temperature. Experimental work will continue on the synthesis of the mixed catalyst, and they will be characterized by a number of techniques, including elemental analyses, x-ray diffraction, and surface area determination.

This report describes work in progress on three tasks: (1) Catalytic steam gasification of coals and cokes; (2) Oxidative coupling of methane; and (3) Synthesis and characterization of catalysts. Since Task 1 is complete, a final report has been written. This report describes membrane reactors, cyclic methane conversion reactors, theoretical descriptions of reaction-separation schemes, and time-space relationships in cyclic and membrane reactors, all subtasks of Task 2. Initial studies under Task 3 are briefly described.