94 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



its decomposition. Many workers" on the limits of inflammability 

 of hydrocarbons in air have noted the formation of aldehydic odours 

 under certain conditions. That formaldehyde is formed in lighting 

 a natural gas flame in a cold furnace is frequently observed. 



It should be possible, therefore, to find the conditions under 

 which some of the more stable intermediate products can be pre- 

 vented from further decomposition and isolated. 



The following methods which might have commercial application 

 were tried out: 



1. Passage of natural gas and oxygen over heated catalysts. 



2. Oxidation by ozone. 



3. Reaction between methane and carbon dioxide. 



As yet no work has been done on oxidation of methane in solvents. 



Method I — The Passage of Methane and Oxygen over Catalysts. 



This method is the subject of several patents: Blackmore in 

 U.S. Pat. 774,824 used iron oxide as catalyst. Unruh U.S. Pat. 

 891,753 proposed the use of tan bark. D.R.P. 286,731 specified 

 metals or metallic couples, and D.R.P. 207,380, 1918, protects the 

 use of croceo-cobalt nitrate. 



The chief factors which enter into the reaction are: (1) Nature 

 and form of catalyst, (II) ratio of methane to oxygen, (III) tempera- 

 ture, (IV) time of contact, (V) effect of water vapour and impurities 

 in the gases. 



Experimental 



The train of apparatus was usually: 

 purified natural gas — flow gauge gas meter— flow gauge 



mixing 

 ychamber 

 Oxygen— flow gauge 



^ ^ — catalyst chamber— absorption train — gasometer, 

 tower 



Catalyst chamber 



The catalyst chamber used in most experiments, shown in Fig. 1, 

 consisted of two concentric tubes of pyrex glass, the outer one sealed 

 at one end. The catalyst was packed for certain length in the centre 

 of the inner tube, which was supported in the outer tube by a rubber 



cork. ____^_^_____ 



''Burgess and Wheeler, Jour. Chem. Soc. 99, 2020, 1911. 



