Direct Synthesis of Methanol by Partial Oxidation of Methane with Oxygen over Cobalt Modified Mesoporous H-ZSM-5 Catalyst

Yuni Krisyuningsih Krisnandi (Department of Chemistry, FMIPA, Universitas Indonesia, Depok)
Bayu Adi Samodro (Department of Chemistry, FMIPA, Universitas Indonesia, Depok)
Riwandi Sihombing (Department of Chemistry, FMIPA, Universitas Indonesia, Depok)
Russell Francis Howe (Department of Chemistry, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland)

Indonesian Journal of Chemistry
Vol 15, No 3 (2015)

Partial oxidation of methane over mesoporous catalyst cobalt modified H-ZSM-5 has been carried out. Mesoporous Na-ZSM-5 (Si/Al = 35.4) was successfully synthesized using double template method which has high surface area (450 m2/g) and average pore diameter distribution of 1.9 nm. The as-synthesized Na-ZSM-5 was converted to H-ZSM-5 through multi-exchange treatment with ammonium ion solution, causing decreased crystallinity and surface area, but increased porous diameter, due to dealumination during treatment process. Moreover, H-ZSM-5 was loaded with cobalt (Co = 2.5% w) by the incipient impregnation method and calcined at 550 °C. Partial oxidation of methane was performed in the batch reactor with 0.75 bar methane and 2 bar of nitrogen (with impurities of 0.5% oxygen) as the input at various reaction time (30, 60 and 120 min). The reaction results show that cobalt species in catalyst has an important role, because H-ZSM-5 cannot produce methanol in partial oxidation of methane. The presence of molecular oxygen increased the percentage of methanol yield. The reaction is time-dependent with the highest methanol yield (79%) was acquired using Co/H-ZSM-5 catalyst for 60 min.