TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The additional component comprises methyl iodide, titanium bromide, branched hydrocarbon, ethane, hydrogen, alkyl halide, olefin, or metal halide comprising lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), scandium (Sc), yttrium (Y), zirconium (Zr), copper (Cu), hafnium (Hf), vanadium (V), niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), iron (Fe), ruthenium (Ru), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), boron (B), gallium (Ga), germanium (Ge), tin (Sn), or antimony (Sb) and bromine, fluorine, chlorine, or iodine. The component for absorbing hydrogen comprises Raney nickel, platinum, palladium, tantalum, niobium, yttrium, platinum on carbon, palladium on carbon, platinum on activated carbon, or palladium on activated carbon.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The temperature (t1) is 100 degrees C. In the process, at least some of the gaseous methane and some of the gaseous aluminum bromide combine to form a second stream and the second stream is at a reaction temperature (t2) high enough to initiate polymerization of the methane, where the reaction temperature (t2) is 250 degrees C. The process (P1) further involves combining titanium bromide with the gaseous methane and aluminum bromide; combining hydrogen bromide with the gaseous methane and metal halide; and combining hydrogen bromide and an additional component with the gaseous methane and metal halide; and combining a halogen with the gaseous methane and aluminum bromide. The process of producing 2C and higher hydrocarbons involves: (a) heating aluminum bromide to a temperature at least high enough to gasify at least some of the aluminum bromide; and (b) combining at least gaseous methane and the heated aluminum bromide. The gaseous methane and the heated aluminum bromide combine to form a second stream and the second stream is at a reaction temperature (t2) high enough to initiate polymerization of the methane. The step (b) is replaced with: combining at least gaseous methane, the heated aluminum bromide, and a component for absorbing hydrogen. The process of producing 2C and higher hydrocarbons involves passing at least gaseous methane through a container containing at least aluminum bromide at a temperature at which at least some of the aluminum bromide is gaseous. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.