Modelling the partial oxidation of methane to formaldehyde on silica catalyst Original Research Article

The kinetics of the partial oxidation of methane to formaldehyde (MPO) on the silica catalyst at 650°C has been investigated using a flow recirculation batch reactor. The influence of methane and oxygen concentration on density of reduced sites of the catalyst under steady-state conditions has been evaluated by in situ oxygen uptake measurements (RTOC). The reaction order with respect to CH4 and O2 is 0.9 and 0.2, respectively, while the density of reduced sites depends upon the square-root of the PCH4/PO2 ratio. A formal Langmuir–Hinshelwood (L–H) model, accounting for the dissociative activation of both CH4 and O2 molecules, is adopted to describe the reaction kinetics of the MPO on silica catalyst.