The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 14, 1996
Filed:
Jan. 30, 1995
Raj N Pandey, Guelph, CA;
Kebir Ratnani, Boucherville, CA;
Shamsuddlin Ahmed, Guelph, CA;
Rupesh N Pandey, Guelph, CA;
John R Williams, Laval, CA;
Chemisar Laboratories Inc., Ontario, CA;
Gas Metropolitain and Company, Limited, Montreal, CA;
Abstract
The direct conversion of methane to hythane, an alternative fuel for internal combustion engines, is effected by subjecting methane to a controlled oxidation with water vapor at a temperature of about 400.degree. to about 500.degree. C. and a pressure of about 1 to about 5 atmospheres, in the presence of a catalyst comprising palladium or a binary alloy thereof with another metal selected from the group consisting of elements belonging to Group IB, Group IIA, Group VIII and the lanthanide series of the Periodic Table, the catalyst being supported on a porous carrier. The direct conversion of methane to hythane under conditions of low temperature and pressure in accordance with the present invention enables hythane to be produced not only economically and efficiently, but also at or near vehicle fueling sites, thereby eliminating the storage and transportation of dangerously reactive hydrogen for mixing with methane or natural gas.