2089.     ---------------.  [LEIBUSH, A. G., AND BERGO, G. Y.]  [Reaction of Methane With Water Vapor.  II.]  Jour. Appl. Chem. (U.S.S.R.), vol. 13, 1940, pp. 103-1013 (in French, p. 1013); U.O.P. Co. Survey Foreign Petroleum Literature Index, Mar. 14, 1941; Chem. Abs., vol. 35, 1941, p. 1967.

        Kinetics of the reaction of CH₄ with water vapor was investigated at 700°-1,050°.  The initial stage of the process in a quartz vessel proceeded homogeneously and unimolecularly.  Refractory clay and, especially, Ni catalytically accelerated the decomposition of CH₄.  A decrease of initial partial pressure of CH₄ and an increase of an excess of water vapor also promoted decomposition of CH₄.  The velocity of CH₄ decomposition diminished considerably with the formation of H₂.  The relation between velocity and temperature is expressed by K=2.3X10⁹ e^-65000/RT per min.