Effect of Temperature and Pressure on Conversion of Methane and Lifetime of the Catalyst in the Catalytic Decomposition of Methane

The results of studying the effect of temperature and pressure on conversion of methane and the catalyst lifetime during the catalytic decomposition of methane with the formation of hydrogen and nanofibrous carbon on a Ni–Cu catalyst are presented. The pressure varied in the range of 1–10 atm at the temperatures of 600 and 675°C. It was found that when increasing pressure, the total yield of hydrogen increases from the start of synthesis to the deactivation of the catalyst. This effect is manifested the stronger, the higher the temperature of process. It is shown that increasing pressure allows expanding the temperature range of the process without reducing the total yield of useful products.