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Ceramic membrane reactor for synthesis gas production
Author(s) -
Ritchie J. T.,
Richardson J. T.,
Luss Dan
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
aiche journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1547-5905
pISSN - 0001-1541
DOI - 10.1002/aic.690470919
Subject(s) - methane , permeation , carbon monoxide , membrane , chemical engineering , membrane reactor , syngas , nitrogen , chemistry , catalysis , oxygen , mixing (physics) , ceramic membrane , selectivity , porosity , air separation , gas separation , materials science , organic chemistry , biochemistry , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering
Membrane reactors enable synthesis‐gas production from methane and air while avoiding the need for separation of the nitrogen either before or after the reaction. A stable membrane was developed by spray deposition of a dense thin film of La 0.5 Sr 0.5 Fe 0.8 Ga 0.2 O 3 − δ on a high‐purity porous α‐alumina tube. The oxygen permeation rate at 850°C was 2.5 × 10 −7 mol·cm −2 ·s −1 . A quartz tube was placed coaxially around the membrane and the shell filled with a rhodium catalyst. Air was fed to the tube and methane to the shell. At 850°C the methane conversion was 97% and the selectivity to carbon monoxide approached 100%. Rapid radial mixing of the oxygen in the shell is essential to prevent coking and undesirable reactions. The membrane decomposes at 780°C in pure CH 4 , but remains stable up to 970°C in a mixture of 90‐mol % CH 4 and 10‐mol % CO 2 .