Patent ID: 6979432

Claim:
A process for synthesis of hydrogen cyanide, comprising: reacting methane or methane-containing natural gas, ammonia and oxygen-enriched air or oxygen in the presence of a catalyst comprising platinum or a platinum alloy; wherein oxygen and nitrogen are present in a molar ratio which satisfies the relationship [ O 2 ] [ O 2 + N 2 ] = 0.25 ⁢ ⁢ to ⁢ ⁢ 1.0 ; wherein methane and ammonia are present in a molar ratio of [ CH 4 ] [ NH 3 ] = 0.95 ⁢ ⁢ to ⁢ ⁢ 1.05 ; and wherein a molar ratio of ammonia to the sum of oxygen and nitrogen obeys the following relationship: Y=m·X−a, wherein Y = [ NH 3 ] [ O 2 + N 2 ] X = [ O 2 ] [ O 2 + N 2 ] m=1.25 to 1.40; and a=0.05 to 0.14.