2507.     OGURA, T., AND ICHIMARU, T.  Reaction of Methane and Oxygen.  Jour. Soc. Chem. Ind. (Japan), vol. 47, 1944, pp. 540-543; Chem. Abs., vol. 42, 1948, p. 6082.

        For the purpose of obtaining a mixture of CO and H2, CH4 was oxidized under various conditions.  When no catalyst was used, CH4 and O2 did not react below 600°.  As catalyst, Co was the most effective and Ni was the next.  With Co as catalyst, the reaction takes place even below 300° when more than 2 times the volume of O2 is added to CH4, producing CO2 and H2O.  When an equivalent amount of CH4 and O2 is taken, CO2 and H2O are produced, and a part of the CH4 remains below 800°, while above 800°, all CH4 is changed to CO and H2.  Admixture of N2 retards the reaction, and admixture of H2O promotes it.  When mixtures of CH4 and O2 were exploded, the product was variously CO2, CO, H2O, and H2, according to the ratio at which CH4 and O2 were taken.  A semi-industrial experiment showed that preparation of a mixture of CO and H2 by suitably oxidizing natural gas is successful.