299.    BOOMER, E. H., AND THOMAS, V.  Oxidation of Methane at High Pressure.  II.  Experiments With Various Mixtures of Viking Natural Gas and Air.  Canadian Jour. Research, vol. 15, B, 1937, p. 401-413; Chem. Abs., vol. 32, 1938, p. 751.

                 Mixtures of a natural gas, substantially CH₄, and air in various proportions were passed over catalysts, and the effects of the variables, composition of mixture, pressure, temperature, and space velocity were determined,  Similar experiments were made with mixtures of CH₄ and air.  Mixtures containing from less than 3% to more than 13% of O₂ as air were used.  The temperature range was 350°-500°, and the pressure range 140-230 atm.  MeOH was the principal product, and yields as high as 74% on the basis of C oxidized were obtained.  Cu was the principal catalyst used.  Traces of S poisoned the catalyst very effectively.  The yield of useful products was found to depend primarily on the catalyst, the O₂ concentration, and the temperature.  The influence of the time of reaction and the pressure was found to be slight.  Low yields of HCHO and HCOOH and high yields of MeOH, when the oxidation was carried out under pressure and with a deficiency of O₂, are explicable on the basis of the hydroxylation theory.  Formulation of peroxides was not observed.