Selective methane oxidation to formaldehyde using polymorphic T-, M-, and H-forms of niobium(V) oxide as catalysts

Abstract

AbstractThe investigations of selective methane oxidation to formaldehyde over T-Nb2O5, the mixture of M-Nb2O5 and H-Nb2O5 as well as H-Nb2O5 were carried out. The tests were conducted under atmospheric pressure, in the temperature range 420–750°C, using oxygen as the oxidizing agent. T-Nb2O5 samples were examined at the contact time 0.7–1.8 s (GHSV 2000–5143 h−1). Other polymorphic forms of niobium(V) oxide were examined at the contact time 0.9 s. Various polymorphic forms of Nb2O5 displayed various formaldehyde and carbon dioxide yield. Using H-Nb2O5 and M-Nb2O5 phases with a block type structure, made it possible to obtain higher formaldehyde selectivity (78 % at 0.9 s) as compared to T-Nb2O5 (47 % at 0.9 s), a polymorphic form which does not have a block type structure. However, the highest space time yield of formaldehyde (46 g per kg of catalyst per h) was obtained over T-Nb2O5 supported on SiO2.