The kinetics of methane decomposition in low frequency (60 Hz) AC arc plasmas was investigated using on-line mass spectrometry and optical emission spectroscopy (OES) in a batch reactor configuration at pressures up to 3 bar absolute. Plasma conversion of CH₄ results largely from thermal dissociation and was seen to follow first-order kinetics up to high conversions (> 90%) without observing any rate impedance from reverse hydrocracking. H– and C-atom selectivities for H₂, C₂H₂, and C₂H₄ were 78% (1.56 mol H₂/mol CH₄ reacted), 36% (0.18 mol C₂H₂/mol CH₄), and 30% (0.15 mol C₂H₄/mol CH₄), respectively, at 3 bar. In other experiments, H₂ diluent concentration played an important role in CH₄ dissociation and final product distributions; H abstraction reactions increased the rate of CH₄ decomposition at low H₂ (y_H2 < 0.6) while high H₂ (y_H2 > 0.6) impeded CH₄ decomposition due to hydrocracking of C₂ products. The rate of CH₄ dissociation was seen to increase with pressure, up to 0.11 mol/m³/s, and the specific energy requirement (SER) decreased with pressure to 365 kJ/mol CH₄ at 3 bar. The latter suggests that even higher operating pressures may improve the efficiency of plasma conversion of CH₄, and ultimately that plasma pyrolysis may be a viable and energy efficient route to clean (turquoise) H₂ and further implementation of chemical process electrification.

在间歇式反应器配置中，在绝对压力高达 3 bar 的情况下，使用在线质谱和光学发射光谱 (OES) 研究了低频 (60 Hz) 交流电弧等离子体中甲烷分解的动力学。CH ₄的等离子体转化主要源自热解离，并且被认为遵循一级动力学直至高转化率（> 90%），而没有观察到来自反向加氢裂化的任何速率阻抗。_{H 2}、C ₂ H ₂和C ₂ H ₄的H-和C-原子选择性为78%（1.56 mol H ₂ /mol CH ₄反应）、36%（0.18 mol C ₂ H ₂ /mol CH ₄） 、和30%（0.15 mol C ₂ H ₄ /mol CH ₄），分别在3巴下。在其他实验中，H _{2稀释剂浓度对CH 4}解离和最终产物分布起着重要作用。H提取反应在低H ₂ (y _{H2 < 0.6)下增加CH 4}分解速率 ，而高H ₂ (y _H2 > 0.6)由于C ₂产物的加氢裂化而 阻碍CH _{4分解。观察到CH 4}解离速率随压力增加，高达0.11 mol/m ³ /s，并且比能量需求(SER)随压力降低至3巴下的365 kJ/mol CH _{4 。后者表明，甚至更高的操作压力可以提高CH 4}的等离子体转化效率，并且最终等离子体热解可能是获得清洁（绿松石色）H ₂并进一步实现化学过程电气化的可行且节能的途径。