PATENTS

       42.   ------.  [ARVESON, M. H.]  (Standard Oil Co. of Indiana).  Conversion of Methane.  United Stated Patent 2,360,463, Oct. 17, 1944: appl. Filed Apr. 24, 1941. Serial No. 390,185: 7 claims (Cl. 260-673.5).  Chem. Abs., vol. 39, 1945, p. 3900.

This process aims at the conversion of CH₄ into heavier hydrocarbons.  CH₄ is decomposed into CO and H₂, and the gases are subjected to the Fischer process.  The CH₄ may be derived from any source, but primarily the process is designed for CH₄ from distillate wells.  CH₄-containing gases are freed of H₂S and are transferred to a reformer into which steam is admitted.  The mixture is heated to about 1,500° F. and then passed through catalyst tubes where CH₄ and steam react to produce approximately 1 CO and 3 H₂ mols.  Since the optimum CO: H₂ ratio for synthesizing gas is 0.5 or slightly higher, additional S-free Co2 is introduced into the reformer furnace.  This purified CO₂ is derived from flue gas.  From the reformer furnace the synthesis gas passes into a Fischer-reactor, where it is brought into contact with a catalyst and MgO deposited on kieselguhr.  The Fischer synthesis products are then fractionated and further treated.  The CH₄ treatment is an integral part of treating distillate-well hydrocarbons, of which a flowsheet is given.