The reaction of CHF₃ with CH₄ in the presence of small amounts of CH₃OH (5% of CHF₃ concentration) was investigated in a tubular alumina reactor at temperatures between 900 K and 1150 K. The presence of CH₃OH has a significant influence on both the conversion and selectivity of the reaction. Increasing the CH₃OH concentration enhances the conversion of CHF₃ by a factor of 1−4 times at temperatures between 873 K and 1123 K, although the rate of formation of the major products (CH₂═CF₂) does not increase. A reaction scheme, based on NIST HFC and GRI-Mech mechanisms, is developed to model the reactions. Satisfactory agreement between experimental results and predictions is achieved for the conversion of reactants and formation of products. Based on experimental measurements and modeling results, a detailed reaction mechanism is proposed, and insight into how CH₃OH influences the reaction of CHF₃ with CH₄ is presented.
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research Vol. 49, Issue 18, p. 8406-8414