METHOD OF CATALYZING CHEMICAL REACTIONS BY A CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL COMPRISING METAL NODULES AND THE MANUFACTURE OF SUCH MATERIAL

摘要

The carbonaceous materials, which are highly reactive, particularly with hydrogen to form methane, comprise a carbon matrix (which may comprise fibrous carbon) having dispersed therein a Group VIII metal which is at least partly chemically bonded to the carbon matrix. They are characterised by the following properties: (a) when contacted with hydrogen at 1 atmos., 550 DEG C and a feed rate of 2 moles hydrogen per hour per mole of carbon, at least 0.1 mole of methane is formed; and (b) they are capable of undergoing a plurality of cycles of hydrogen treatment (methanation) and carbon deposition (by treatment with carbon monoxide), the maximum rates of methanation and carbon deposition increasing with each cycle. The materials are produced by passing carbon monoxide over a source of a Group VIII metal at an elevated temperature, whereby at least some of the metal migrates into the carbon matrix thus formed. The materials may also be used for desulphurising a gas stream. They are then regenerated by hydrogenation.