chemical physics of discharges - Argonne National Laboratory

31 4
,Tet.
- ~2H2
CK4 (or other hvdrocarbons) Ar ,?e?
CTq + !I7--+ F3 + C=31!r2 (6) 'I
Srs + h'2+!'F3
t:P3 or CU,, crackinp rate studies (8)
In the oast several vears considerable effort has been directed to the \
investipation of the nroduction of acetylene from hvdrocarbons (reaction 1).
"he Drnduction of acrtvlene hv reactinp Fethane in the flame cf an arpon
!
olasms iet vielded an R0% conversfan to acetvlene (1).
Almost all of the methane was
converted to acetvlene and hvdrogen with little formation of soot. Pisure 7 shows
the Dower consumption VS. the feed ratio of arpon to methane. This ratio is the
most imnortant naraveter in the acetylene yield. "he minimun power consurnntion 60
Kwhr/100 CU. ft. acetvlene nroduced, corresDonded to a ratio of arpon to acetylene of
0.3. Danon and White (2) selected the manufacture of acetylene as am aoplicaticn
for plasma processinp which mipht be of interest to the petroleum industry. Pethane
was one of the pases nroposed with the use of recvcle procedure. Anderson and Case
studied the methane decomDosition reaction and compared it to available themodvnamic
data. In these exaeriments a hvdropen plasma torch was used coupled to a reaction
chamber and water ouench svstem. ?he hot hydrogen stream emitted from the Dlasma jet, \
entered the reaction chamber and mixed with a methane feed. The
after affluinp from the reaction chamher and water auench svstem.
conditions for methane produced a 30? yield of acetylene.
In a report of the National Academv of Sciences the investigation by the
Linde Company of the production of acetylene usinp a plasma jet and natural pas was
reported. This process is said to have a more efficient transfer energy to the feed
stream than does the open arc process used in Germany.
Considerable research has been done on the methane-nitrogen and methaneammonia
reactions (Tactions 7 t 3) to produce hvdroeen cyanide and as a bv product
acetvlene. Leutner 6 6)reported up to 50% conversions were obtained based on
carbon input (as methane) bv usinR either nitropen, arEon or nitroEen-argon mixtures
as the plasma eas. fipre 3 shows a schematic of the apparatus used
These experiments shoved that up to 75% of the carbon inDut as methane
WN and acetylene for reaction 3 and 90% for reaction P. Ho other hydrocarbons beside!
acetylene were found and cvanopen was present in only trace amounts.
f
Damon and Vhite (7) DroDosed the production of reducer gas by reaction 4
Using natural eas or DroDane as a hvdrocarbon source. The proDosed process=for stem+
methane refonninR would ooerate at a t emperature of 3000 to 60OOOF and Drovide a hi@
temperature reducing gas for metals and other hip.h temperature processes.
The fixation of nitropen (reaction 5) has been one of the major aDnlications/
for arc induced reactions in the
oxypen-nitro~en mixtures has beep
input has been converted to NP (6
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