Exxon Research and Engineering Company

John J Knarr

Thomas H Vanderspurt

James E Hardy

Anthony W Ho

The present invention relates to a method for making mixtures of ethanol and methanol by reacting methane, water and an acidic aqueous solution of a electron acceptor, preferably Fe.sub.2 (SO.sub.4).sub.3 or Fe(ClO.sub.4).sub.3, having a pH of less than 3, preferably 1 to 3, more preferably 1 to 2 in the presence of a noble metal catalyst, typically platinum or palladium, having a diameter of at least about 100 .ANG. at a temperature of at least 60.degree. C. to about 100.degree. C. The process is advantageous as it provides a method of making ethanol directly from methanol at low cost and high thermodynamic efficiency.

Direct catalytic conversion of methane to ethanol

Process and apparatus for measuring total fixed gaseous nitrogen species, including NH.sub.3, NO, NO.sub.2, HCN and organic amines in gaseous mixtures. The process involves catalytic conversion at elevated temperature of all fixed nitrogen species to nitric oxide, NO, followed by chemiluminescent measurement of the resulting NO concentration. The improvement features of the process are the use of a reduced pressure gaseous sample flow to prevent N.sub.2 poisoning of the heated platinum catalyst and a preheat step of the reduced pressure gaseous mixture in an inert, non-catalytic quartz preheater prior to catalytic conversion to prevent loss of some species, such as NH.sub.3, through premature catalyzed reaction with NO and subsequent loss from the system as N.sub.2.

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Flemington, NJ, United States of America

John J Knarr