Methane, a colorless and odorless gas, is the lightest and most stable hydrocarbon. It is composed of one carbon atom bonded to four oxygen atoms and is the main component of natural gas. Methane emissions result from many human activities such as agricultural and industrial processes. These industrial processes include steam methane reforming, coal mining, oil and gas exploration and the incomplete combustion of fuels that power gas turbines and stationary gas engines.
Although methane is nontoxic, it is very flammable and can cause explosions when mixed with air. It is also an asphyxiant gas which displaces air in confined spaces. However, the biggest concern is methane’s potential to increase global warming because methane has a Global Warming Potential of 25 times that of Carbon Dioxide over a 100-year period.
Methane can be catalytically oxidized to carbon dioxide and water. Johnson Matthey has several technologies to reduce methane emissions, such as our Ventilation Air Methane (VAM) catalyst system for active and abandoned coal mines. Other JM technologies for methane reduction include oxidation catalysts (2-way) for gas turbines and lean-burn stationary gas engines and three-way catalysts (TWCs) for rich-burn stationary engines.