Development of Membrane Reactor Coupling Hydrogen and Syngas Production.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Catalysis

Background:

• Developing efficient methods for simultaneous syngas and hydrogen production is crucial for energy applications.
• Mixed ionic-electronic conductors offer potential for integrated chemical processes.
• Perovskite materials are promising for high-temperature membrane reactors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate simultaneous syngas and pure hydrogen production via methane partial oxidation and water splitting.
• To investigate the performance of La_0.5Sr_0.5FeO₃ perovskite tubular membranes in a radial reactor.
• To evaluate the impact of methane supply strategy on reaction uniformity and membrane stability.

Main Methods:

• Utilized tubular ceramic membranes made of La_0.5Sr_0.5FeO₃ perovskite in a lab-scale radial reactor.
• Employed a steady steam flow as the oxidative medium within the membrane's inner part.
• Applied a 10%Ni@Al₂O₃ catalyst for methane partial oxidation.

Main Results:

• Achieved high oxygen permeability (>1.1 mL∙cm^-2∙min^-1) and long-term stability.
• Methane partial oxidation showed high selectivity (>90%) and near-complete conversion (>99%).
• Scaling up from one to ten tubes maintained specific performance, indicating successful process optimization.

Conclusions:

• The radial membrane reactor configuration with optimized methane supply is effective for simultaneous syngas and hydrogen production.
• La_0.5Sr_0.5FeO₃ perovskite membranes exhibit excellent stability and performance for these reactions.
• The findings support the development of a promising multitubular reactor prototype with simplified sealing for industrial applications.