Multicomponent CoFeNiCux alloys for catalytic pyrolysis of C2+ hydrocarbons mixed with methane

The paper presents an approach to the conditioning of associated petroleum or natural gas. The method is based on the process of catalytic pyrolysis of light hydrocarbons С 1 -С 4 on multicomponent alloy particles. As a result of such a process it is possible to obtain mainly a mixture of СH 4 +H 2 , since it is the fraction of С 2 -С 4 that is subjected to pyrolysis with the formation of hydrogen and carbon nanofibers (CNF). Equiatomic alloy [CoFeNi] promoted by addition of 7 at.% Cu ([CoFeNi]Cu 7 ) shows the highest activity in decomposition of C 2 -C 4 mixture. The maximum yield of CNF at 650 °C was 106 g/g cat in 30 min. It is shown that such an alloy can be successfully used for catalytic decomposition of С 2 -С 4 fraction in a mixture with methane. The dependence of CNF yield on the concentration of С 2 -С 4 fraction in the model mixture has been determined. It was found that at pyrolysis of the mixture with the volume ratio С 2 -С 4 /СH 4 = 10/90 within 30-180 min there is no appreciable deactivation of the catalyst. The yield of CNF after 180 min of reaction was 160 g/g cat . The average conversion of the С 2 -С 4 fraction in one pass reaches 20 %. The morphology and structure of the obtained CNF were studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy and low-temperature nitrogen adsorption.