Using Nickel-Containing Structured Microfiber Catalysts in the Hydrogenolysis of Propane

Abstract— The authors study the possibility of using nickel-containing structured fiberglass catalysts (Ni/GFC) in the hydrogenolysis of gas condensate (GC) to transportable natural gas components to improve the efficiency of GC processing and promote the development of more cost-efficient technologies in the oil and gas industry. Ni/GFC samples with nickel contents of 5, 10, and 15 wt % were synthesized via surface thermosynthesis (STS). A commercial granular catalyst with a nickel content of 16 wt % is used to compare the synthesized catalysts according to their catalytic activity. The highest activity and selectivity to methane in the hydrogenolysis of propane is observed on 10%Ni/GFC catalyst, which is superior in these characteristics to other GFCs and the traditional granular catalyst.