Carbonaceous materials as catalysts for decomposition of methane

Thermo-catalytic decomposition of methane over different carbonaceous materials was studied by monitoring the mass gain with time. The initial decomposition rates as well as the long-term behaviour of the catalyst (i.e. the carbon mass that the catalyst can accumulate before deactivation occurs) were determined for a wide range of carbon blacks (CB) with different textural properties and surface chemistry, and for a commercial activated carbon (AC). The commercial carbon black BP2000 showed the highest amount of carbon deposited, 6.13 gCdep/gCo before deactivation while the higher initial carbon formation rate (ro) among the different samples tested was obtained for the activated carbon CG Norit (85.9 mgCdep/gCo min). The relationship between the characteristics of the carbonaceous materials and their efficiency as catalysts were also evaluated. The amount of carbon deposited until deactivation shows a linear relationship with the total pore volume of the fresh catalysts. A good correlation is also found between the initial reaction rate and the concentration of oxygenated groups desorbed as CO after a temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) experiment.