Syngas Production via Oxidative Reforming of Propane Using a CO₂- and O₂-Permeating Membrane

Recently, ceramic-carbonate membrane reactors have been proposed to selectively separate CO₂ at elevated temperatures and to valorize this pollutant gas by coupling a catalyzed reaction. This work explores using a membrane reactor to perform the oxidative reforming of propane by taking advantage of the CO₂- and O₂-permeating properties of a LiAlO₂/Ag-carbonate membrane. The fabricated membrane showed excellent permeation properties, such as CO₂/N₂ and O₂/N₂ selectivity, when operating in the 725-850 °C temperature range. The membrane exhibited remarkable stability during the long-term permeation test under operating conditions, exhibiting minor microstructural and permeation changes. Then, by packing a Ni/CeO₂ catalyst, the membrane reactor arrangement showed efficient syngas production, especially at temperatures above 800 °C. A hydrogen-rich syngas mixture was obtained by the contributions of the oxidative reforming and cracking reactions. Specific issues observed regarding the membrane reactor's performance are attributed to the catalyst that was used, which experienced significant poisoning by carbon deposition during the reaction, affecting syngas production during the long-term test. Thermodynamic calculations were performed to support the experimental results.