Carbon-dioxide and Oxygen Counter-permeable Membrane Reactor for Hydrogen/Syngas Production from Natural Gas

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The discovery of vast natural gas reserves in the U.S., consisting primarily of methane, has led to a revolution in the US energy and chemical sectors. Significant research activities are currently being devoted towards the development of techniques for efficient conversion of natural gas to hydrogen or syngas. Hydrogen is a clean fuel, while syngas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, is an important feedstock for the synthesis of a large number of chemical products. This project aims to develop a new membrane reactor for oxidative steam reforming of natural gas to hydrogen or syngas. The new reactor is based on novel ceramic membranes that allow selective counter-permeation of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Preliminary data suggest that this approach leads to improved yields, is more energy efficient, and allows for longer operation of the reactor, due to reduced carbon deposits. The use of novel ceramic-carbonate dual-phase membranes for autothermal oxidative steam reforming of natural gas to hydrogen or syngas has potential for significant industrial impact. The dual-phase membranes offer significant advantages over existing methods, due to improved energy and cost efficiency. The project will focus on improving membrane performance to enable efficient counter-permeation of carbon dioxide and oxygen during oxidative steam reforming of natural gas. The project will involve experiments using a prototype membrane reactor and modeling to understand the underlying chemical and transport mechanisms. The ultimate objective is to optimize the operating conditions of the reactor for production of either hydrogen or syngas. The simultaneous separation of carbon dioxide and controlled addition of oxygen into the reacting mixture is an innovative and potentially transformative idea that may lead to significant improvements in energy and cost efficiency. The PI plans to train graduate and undergraduate students in membrane science, chemical reaction engineering, ceramic processing, separation processes, and ionic conducting materials. Research results will be disseminated to the scientific community through journal publications and conference presentations and will be included in course materials and workshop lectures. The PI plans to incorporate results from this project into a Science is Fun program to improve the awareness of K-12 students on energy production, carbon dioxide emissions and membrane science, while motivating their interests in pursuing a STEM career path.