Patent ID: 7160344
Filing Date: 2007-01-09
Classification: B01J,C01B

Abstract:
1. A process for the continuous production of carbon monoxide-free hydrogen from methane or methane-rich hydrocarbons, using a solid catalyst comprising at least one group VIII metal in two parallel catalytic reactors, said process comprising the steps of: (i) packing the solid catalyst in the two different catalytic reactors kept parallel; (ii) pre-treating the catalyst of step (i) kept in both the reactors with a reducing agent of pure H (iii) contacting the pretreated catalyst of step (ii) with a first gaseous feed comprising methane or natural gas, called Feed A, with the solid catalyst of the first reactor, called Reactor A, at a temperature in the range of about 600° C. to about 1000° C. and at a pressure of at least about 1 atmosphere; (iv) contacting simultaneously a second gaseous feed comprising steam, with or without oxygen, called Feed B1, with the solid catalyst in the second reactor, called Reactor B, at a temperature in the range of about 600° C. to about 1000° C., at a pressure of at least about 1 atmosphere, while simultaneously switching over to the two feeds, Feed A and Feed B1, using a feed stream switch over valve, the two product lines for the gaseous products obtained from Feed A, called Product Gas A, and the gaseous products obtained from Feed B1, called Product Gas B, using product switch over valve situated between the two parallel reactors, Reactor A and Reactor B, at an interval time in the range of about 0.1 minutes to about 100 minutes, such that, before the simultaneous switching of the two switch over valves for the next cyclic operation, Feed B1 is replaced by pure H (v) separating the carbon monoxide-free hydrogen from Product Gas A and the hydrogen, methane and carbon monoxide from Product Gas B.