Postextraction Separation, On-Board Storage, and Catalytic Conversion of Methane in Natural Gas: A Review
Abstract
In today's perspective, natural gas has gained considerable attention, due to its low emission, indigenous availability, and improvement in the extraction technology. Upon extraction, it undergoes several purification protocols including dehydration, sweetening, and inert rejection. Although purification is a commercially established technology, several drawbacks of the current process provide an essential impetus for developing newer separation protocols, most importantly, adsorption and membrane separation. This Review summarizes the needs of natural gas separation, gives an overview of the current technology, and provides a detailed discussion of the progress in research on separation and purification of natural gas including the benefits and drawbacks of each of the processes. The transportation sector is another growing sector of natural gas utilization, and it requires an efficient and safe on-board storage system. Compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) are the most common forms in which natural gas can be stored. Adsorbed natural gas (ANG) is an alternate storage system of natural gas, which is advantageous as compared to CNG and LNG in terms of safety and also in terms of temperature and pressure requirements. This Review provides a detailed discussion on ANG along with computation predictions. The catalytic conversion of methane to different useful chemicals including syngas, methanol, formaldehyde, dimethyl ether, heavier hydrocarbons, aromatics, and hydrogen is also reviewed. Finally, direct utilization of methane onto fuel cells is also discussed.
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Natural gas main component is usually CH4 (30-98%), with other components (CO2, light hydrocarbons, H2O, H2S) present in variable amounts.
“Natural gas, a fossil fuel where the main component is usually CH4 (30–98%), and the other components (CO2, light hydrocarbons, H2O, and H2S) are present in variable amounts.450,462−464”
From Zeolites in Adsorption Processes: State of the Art and Future Prospects (2022) · cites this paper as [463]
Adsorption (PSA) and membrane technologies have potential to be much less energy intensive and to reduce operation costs significantly for CO2 separation from methane.
“Adsorption (more specifically PSA, pressure swing adsorption) and membrane technologies have the potential to be much less energy intensive and to reduce the operation costs significantly.449−451,463,483,484”
From Zeolites in Adsorption Processes: State of the Art and Future Prospects (2022) · cites this paper as [463]
Traditional A-, X-, and Y-type zeolites have been commercialized or patented for CO2 separation from methane, as well as silicalite, mordenite, natural clinoptilolite, and titanosilicate ETS-4.
“Traditional A-, X-, and Y-type zeolites have been commercialized or patented for this separation,463,487,488 as well as silicalite, mordenite,489 natural clinoptilolite,490 and titanosilicate ETS-4.451,491−494”
From Zeolites in Adsorption Processes: State of the Art and Future Prospects (2022) · cites this paper as [463]
PSA processes for CO2 separation from methane have been studied on zeolites, MOFs, carbon molecular sieves, activated carbons, porous polymers, and amine-impregnated mesoporous silica.
“PSA processes for carbon dioxide separation from methane have been studied on a wide range of materials, such as zeolites, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), carbon molecular sieves, activated carbons, porous polymers, or amine-impregnated mesoporous silica.449,451,463,485,486”
From Zeolites in Adsorption Processes: State of the Art and Future Prospects (2022) · cites this paper as [463]
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Zeolites in Adsorption Processes: State of the Art and Future Prospects
Pérez-Botella, E., Valencia, S., & Rey, F. (2022) · Chemical Reviews · doi:10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00140 · Cited by 1,126 · see citing works
Pérez-Botella, E., Palomino, M., Valencia, S., & Rey, F. (2019) · Green Energy and Technology · doi:10.1007/978-981-13-3504-4_7 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
- Authors
- Saha, D., Grappe, H. A., Chakraborty, A., & Orkoulas, G.
- Affiliations
- Widener University (US)
- RMX Technologies, 835 Innovation Drive, Suite 200, Knoxville, Tennessee 37932, United States
- Entegris (United States) (US)
- Corresponding author
- Saha, Dipendu
- Venue
- Chemical Reviews
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Published
- 2016-08-24
- Volume
- 116
- Issue
- 19
- Pages
- 11436-11499
- ISSN
- 0009-2665 (ISSN-L)
- 1520-6890
- OpenAlex
- W2517809103
- Cited by
- 316
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 40 · 2025: 50 · 2024: 48 · 2023: 41 · 2022: 37 · 2021: 29 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 0.71
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Chemical Reviews (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund (54205-UNI10)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Chemical Engineering › Catalysis › Catalysts for Methane Reforming
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanical Engineering › Membrane Separation and Gas Transport
- Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Inorganic Chemistry › Metal-Organic Frameworks: Synthesis and Applications
- Keywords
- natural gas purification, methane separation, adsorption separation, membrane separation, adsorbed natural gas, compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, natural gas dehydration, natural gas sweetening, syngas production, methanol synthesis, dimethyl ether, aromatic compounds, hydrogen production
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