[elworthy] partial OXIDATION OF METHANE 95 



The incoming gas, entering at the top of the outer tube, was 

 preheated by flowing down the annular space. It then passed up the 

 inner tube, through the catalyst and out through a side tube near the 

 top. The gases were then bubbled through wash bottles containing 

 water to take out the soluble oxidation products. 



This catalyst chamber was supported vertically in an electric 

 furnace, thermostatically controlled. The temperature of the 

 chamber was recorded by a copper-constatin thermocouple imbedded 

 in the catalyst. 



The second type of chamber used in some of the later experiments 

 was made of pyrex glass, shaped as shown in Fig. 2, the flanges being 

 held together by clips. The catalyst, made up into a paste with 

 water and asbestos, was coated on a flat spiral, iron-coated, insulated 

 heating element and then baked. The leads of the heating element 

 passed out through a rubber cork at one end of the cylinder and the 

 temperature could be maintained at any desired point very readily 

 by means of resistances. A hard glass tube reaching into the centre 

 of the spiral served as a sheath for the thermocouple recording the 

 catalyst temperature. The gases entered through a second side tube 

 and after passing through the catalyst were scrubbed. 



The natural gas used in all the experiments was supplied by the 

 Dominion Natural Gas Co. from a well at Simcoe, Ont. 



The analysis of a representative sample gave: 



Methane 80.3 per cent. 



Ethane 7.6 " " 



Carbon dioxide 0.3 " " 



Oxygen Nil 



Nitrogen 11.8 " " 



Hydrogen sulphide Nil 



It would have been preferable to have used pure methane, but 

 the lack of liquid air prevented the preparation of methane by lique- 

 faction and distillation from this gas and the quantities required for 

 the work were too large to make the preparation of methane by the 

 recognized laboratory methods feasible. 



The gas was purified when necessary by passage through potash 

 solution and strong sulphuric acid. 



Complete gas analyses were made in an improved form of Burrell 

 apparatus. An Orsat apparatus was used for the many partial 

 estimations. 



