Production of Nitrogen Free Hydrogen or Synthesis Gas from Methane Using Lattice Oxygen of Complex Oxide and Air

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Partial oxidation of methane to give hydrogen or synthesis gas is a superior route in view of an energy saving process. However, pure oxygen is required as an oxidant and this limits the process to a large scale production on account of a costly oxygen plant. The objective of this research is to overcome such drawbacks, and we employed lattice oxygen of metal oxides as soul oxygen sources. Using nickel oxide or iron oxide combined with chromium oxide and magnesium oxide, we could obtain synthesis gas with a high methane conversion and a high selectivity. After the reaction of mixed oxides with methane, oxidation state of nickel or iron decreased to lower valence oxides. Reduced oxides could be oxidized to their original state by oxidation with air. The reaction of methane and oxides and oxidation of reduced oxides with air could successfully be repeated. Thus, we could obtain synthesis gas continuously free from nitrogen.