Development of vanadium-phosphate catalysts for methanol production by selective oxidation of methane. Quarterly technical progress report 13, April--June, 1996

The specific objectives of this project are: to determine optimum conditions for methanol and formaldehyde production from methane using VPO catalysts, in particular to determine the effect of lean conditions (excess oxygen), oxygen deficient conditions (used in most other methane oxidation studies), and the potential of using the catalyst as a stoichiometric oxidant or oxygen carrier; to utilize promoters and catalyst supports to improve oxygenate yield relative to the base case catalysts; to provide a preliminary understanding of how these promoters and supports actually effect catalyst properties; and use the information obtained to prepare advanced catalysts which will be tested for activity, selectivity, and stability. Activities this quarter included analysis of all previously acquired data for methane, methanol, and formaldehyde oxidation over vanadyl pyrophosphate and testing of supported, promoted, and iron phosphate catalysts. Some experiments have been conducted with a small percentage of butane in the feed gas to help retain the catalyst in a reduced state and these results are reported. Iron phosphate, and iron phosphate supported on silica have also been tested in a preliminary way