I'm trying to design a pilot plant process for the conversion of methane into hydrogen and solid carbon via molten metal catalytic cracking, and I'm struggling to find a good resource to follow for the design process.
in 2012 I did a master's thesis on chemical reactions in a molten tin-bismuth column:
https://www.fpl.fs.usda.gov/documnts/pdf2012/fpl_2012_bourne001.pdf
I bubbled a few different gases, including methane, through the column and measured how they changed with a mass spectrometer. I don't know that it will be a great resource, but there may be some useful data and the literature review had all the relevant research I could find at the time.
Hi Jacob, The main design criteria for such a reaction column should be around a safety of this process. You will deal with a hot and extremally explosive gases as CH4 and H2. First advise - this reactor must be absolutely tight and designed to a standards as a pressure vessle. All materials of construction must be certified to the standards and be able to deal with a hot H2. You need to introduce a purge line with an inert gas (N2 or Ar) and purge it till all trases of O2 in reactor will disappear before starting your process. Your molten metals must nor release any trases of O2 during this process. You have to introduce a Pressure safety valve to all of your columns. All other valves need to compilan to the explosive gases standards. I will advise you to get a consultant from appropriate companies which dealing with such an equipment (Hatch or Alfa Laval). If you don't have an experience to deal with such a hazardous materials and processes, don't do it yourself. You can kill yourself and others in your lab.
Regards,
Eugene
Resource
See sec 4'3 onwards
Methane Pyrolysis for CO2‐Free H2 Production: A Green Proces...
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