Hydrogen‐Permeable Tubular Membrane Reactor: Promoting Conversion and Product Selectivity for Non‐Oxidative Activation of Methane over an Fe©SiO 2 Catalyst

Non‐oxidative methane conversion over Fe©SiO 2 catalyst was studied for the first time in a hydrogen (H 2 ) permeable tubular membrane reactor. The membrane reactor is composed of a mixed ionic–electronic SrCe 0.7 Zr 0.2 Eu 0.1 O 3−δ thin film (≈20 μm) supported on the outer surface of a one‐end capped porous SrCe 0.8 Zr 0.2 O 3−δ tube. Significant improvement in CH 4 conversion was achieved upon H 2 removal from the membrane reactor compared to that in a fixed‐bed reactor. The Fe©SiO 2 catalyst in the H 2 permeable membrane reactor demonstrated a stable ≈30 % C 2+ single‐pass yield, with up to 30 % CH 4 conversion and 99 % selectivity to C 2 (ethylene and acetylene) and aromatic (benzene and naphthalene) products, at the tested conditions. The selectivity towards C 2 or aromatics was manipulated purposely by adding H 2 into or removing H 2 from the membrane reactor feed and permeate gas streams.