Mn–Na–W silica supported catalysts are highly selective toward ethylene and ethane in the oxidative
coupling of methane (OCM) process. However, they present lower activities than La/Sr/CaO catalysts and
subsequently a lower ethylene productivity. Optimisation of the Mn–Na–W catalysts has been focused
within the range of 2–8 wt% of active elements relative to the support, while silica is partially converted
into inert cristobalite. This study focused on the increase of the activity of Mn–Na–W catalysts while
maintaining their intrinsically high C2 selectivity. The increase in the concentration ofthe active elements
with respect to the support revealed that the improvement of the catalyst activity was possible but
limited. A high concentration of Mn–Na–W favours the formation of a smooth cristobalite phase and
strongly decreased the number of active sites.
The silica support was replaced by silica-free supports to limit the formation of cristobalite. The use of
SiC as a support led to the formation of cristobalite near the surface of the catalysts but the porous SiC
skeleton, which remained non-oxidised at the core of the catalysts, allowed maintaining a high surface
area. SiC supported catalysts thus presented higher activities than silica catalysts. The use of -alumina
support led to catalysts with lower performances and revealed that exposed alumina was detrimental
for the catalyst performance.