Effect of Sulfur Poisoning in High Pressure Catalytic Partial Oxidation of Methane over Rh−Ce/Al2O3 Catalyst

Abstract

Short contact time catalytic partial oxidation (CPO) of methane has received increasing attention in industrial applications. Understanding of the catalytic system under high pressure and in the presence of sulfur represents a key challenge of this technology. This paper discusses CPO performance using a Rh−Ce catalyst supported on washcoat alumina foam under industrial relevant operating conditions (pressure up to 160 psig and different sulfur levels up to 16 ppm in methane). A long-term experimental run cycling between sulfur-free and sulfur injection conditions was conducted to examine the influence of sulfur on the catalyst. Sulfur effects were also evaluated under different sulfur levels and with different feed compositions. A dual zone reaction model was used to explain the effects of pressure, sulfur level, and the O/C ratio on CPO catalytic performance. Engineering challenges and requirements of the CPO process for industrial applications were discussed on the basis of recent advances in the understanding of CPO chemistry.