ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Methane esterification in oleum

B. Michalkiewicz

Institute of Chemical and Environment Engineering, Szczecin University of Technology, PL-70 322 Szczecin, Poland

E-mail: beata.michalkiewicz@ps.pl

Received: 30 March 2006  Accepted: 13 June 2006

Abstract: The reactions taking place during methane esterification in oleum were investigated. It was found that the primary products were methyl bisulphate and formaldehyde, which was subsequently oxidized to carbon dioxide. The catalyst, Pd or PtCl₄, was needed to activate methane and for its oxidation to the primary products. The formation of CO₂ was not a catalytic process. It was found that the addition of either carbon dioxide or ester into the reaction mixture did not slow down the reactions. Methane oxidation in oleum is an irreversible process, during which water is produced and subsequently consumed to give sulphuric acid by the reaction with sulphur trioxide.

Keywords: methane - methanol - esterification - sulphuric acid - platinum chloride catalyst - palladium catalyst

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-006-0067-z

Chemical Papers 60 (5) 371–374 (2006)