Technoeconomic Evaluation of the Industrial Implementation of Catalytic Direct Nonoxidative Methane Coupling

Rolf S Postma; Dylan J Keijsper; Bart F Morsink; Erwin H Siegers; Muhammed E E Mercimek; Lance K Nieukoop; Henk van den Berg; Aloijsius G J van der Ham; Leon Lefferts

doi:10.1021/acs.iecr.1c03572

Technoeconomic Evaluation of the Industrial Implementation of Catalytic Direct Nonoxidative Methane Coupling

Ind Eng Chem Res. 2022 Jan 12;61(1):566-579. doi: 10.1021/acs.iecr.1c03572. Epub 2021 Dec 15.

Authors

Rolf S Postma¹, Dylan J Keijsper², Bart F Morsink², Erwin H Siegers², Muhammed E E Mercimek², Lance K Nieukoop², Henk van den Berg², Aloijsius G J van der Ham², Leon Lefferts¹

Affiliations

¹ Catalytic Processes and Materials Group, Faculty of Science and Technology, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, PO Box 217, Enschede 7500 AE, Netherlands.
² Sustainable Process Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, PO Box 217, Enschede 7500 AE, Netherlands.

Abstract

This paper presents a process design for catalytic nonoxidative natural gas conversion to olefins and aromatics, highlighting the opportunities and challenges concerning industrial implementation. The optimal reactor conditions are 5 bar and 1000 °C. Heat exchange over the reactor is challenging due to the high temperature and low gas pressure. Recovery of ethylene is economically unattractive due to the low ethylene concentration in the product stream, leading to a methane-to-aromatics process, recycling ethylene. Benzene is the most valuable product at an efficiency of 0.31 kg_benzene/kg_methane with hydrogen as a major valuable byproduct. Naphthalene, with a low value, is unfortunately the dominant product, at 0.52 kg_naphthalene/kg_methane. It is suggested to hydrocrack the naphthalene to more valuable BTX products in an additional downstream process. The process is calculated to result in a 107 $ profit per ton CH₄.