Carbon Isotopic Evidence for Oxidation of CH₄ by TSR

Abstract

In the presence of water, thermal simulation experiments on the reaction between CH₄ and MgSO₄ were conducted at high temperatures and high pressures. Chemical and carbon isotopic variations were characterized with advanced analytical methods, including microcoulometry, gas chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and gas chromatograph combustion isotope ratio mass spectrometry. It was found that CH₄ can react with MgSO₄ to produce H₂S, CO₂, and MgO as the main products of thermochemical sulfate reduction. The carbon kinetic isotope fractionation was tentatively investigated using quantum chemistry and the kinetic isotope effect was calculated.

Keywords:

• carbon isotopic variation
• kinetic isotope fractionation
• quantum chemistry
• thermal simulation experiments
• thermochemical sulfate reduction