Conversion of Atmospheric Concentration of Methane to CO2 Via a Palladium-Zeolite Catalyst

Converting methane in the atmosphere into
CO2 is an emerging method of combatting
methane’s high contribution to global
warming. Our objective is to develop and test
a novel catalyst to lower the energetic barriers
to methane combustion at atmospheric
concentrations. Using a high temperature gas
reactor, we were able to convert 50% of 20
parts per million (PPM) methane in dry air at
temperatures ranging from 339 to 381°C, and
at flow rates from 20 to 60 standard cubic
centimeters per minute (SCCM). We also
experimentally determined the activation
energy of methane for this lab-scale system
to be 151.9 kJ/mol at 40 SCCM.