Methane pyrolysis under pulsed microwave radiation in the presence of solid catalysts

The results on methane pyrolysis in a flow reactor under the action of pulsed microwave radiation with a frequency of 2450 MHz in the presence of (1) supported catalysts, (2) bulk metals, and (3) carbon-containing contacts are presented. It is revealed that, under certain conditions, a gas discharge may occur during microwave irradiation, which is accompanied by selective conversion of methane into acetylene. For the rest of the systems, methane pyrolysis proceeds as an ordinary thermal process at the expense of the heating of solid contacts by microwave radiation, yielding a variety of C-n (n greater than or equal to 2) hydrocarbons, including aromatic compounds.