Methane Sources and Current Uses

In this chapter, several features of methane, the main component in natural gas, are discussed. First, a brief introduction is given to describe the history of natural gas and the chemical structure of methane. Methane has been used mainly as an excellent fuel and will still be regarded as the major energy in the future. However, its highly symmetric structure and the strong C-H bonds hinder its activation and usage in conversion to other chemicals. Next, the advantages and disadvantages of methane as a fuel is described. It is still the most promising and widely used fuel and has more merits compared with coal, wood, and other fuels derived from petroleum. Then, the natural gas sources, production and consumption, processing, and transportation are summarized to give a basic description of the natural gas industry. Finally, the uses of natural gas as fuel and raw material for chemicals are discussed. Currently, the conversion of natural gas to ammonia, hydrogen, syngas, and methanol is the most important industrial applications, and they are presented in this part. It is seen that various approaches are being practiced to achieve better conversion and selectivity. In conclusion, natural gas is still and will be regarded as the most important energy resource, and it is crucial to conduct more researches for its better applications.