Methane Pyrolysis Performance in Catalytic Molten Media for Hydrogen Production From the Perspective of Bubble Column Reactor Design and Configuration

ABSTRACT In the hydrogen production routes from natural gas (methane), methane pyrolysis offers a cleaner option than the established steam methane reforming by producing CO 2 ‐free hydrogen. However, in fixed bed reactors over solid catalysts, this technology experiences rapid catalyst deactivation due to carbon (coke) deposition encapsulating its active site. An alternative catalytic system using molten media catalysts in bubble column reactors offers an effective solution. The solid carbon can be separated from the molten phase and is recovered as a byproduct for various applications. Nonetheless, the methane conversions and hydrogen yield of this system are relatively poorer in comparison to its solid catalyst counterpart. It also faces operational challenges such as feed gas distributor blockage by resolidified molten media and pipeline blockages by tar. This study reviews designs and configurations of the bubble column reactor and analyses their effectiveness in enhancing the methane pyrolysis reaction performance and overcoming the operational challenges.