Non-catalytic pyrolysis of ethane to ethylene in the presence of CO₂ with or without limited O₂

Abstract

Influence of the presence of CO₂, which is a mild oxidant, on the performance of the thermal cracking of ethane to ethylene in the absence or presence of limited O₂ at different temperatures (750- 900° C), space velocities (1500-9000 h^-1) and CO₂/C₂H₆ and O₂/C₂H₆ mole ratios (0-2.0 and 0-0.3 respectively) has been investigated. In both the presence and absence of limited O₂, ethane conversion increases markedly because of the presence of CO₂, indicating its beneficial effect on the ethane to ethylene cracking. The increased ethane conversion is, however, not due to the oxidation of ethane to ethylene by CO₂; the formation of carbon monoxide in the presence of CO₂ is found to be very small. It is most probably due to the activation of ethane in the presence of CO₂.