Background
Carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere has been increasing in recent years due to growing global emissions. Specifically, power plants that burn fossil fuels generate nearly 40% of global CO2 emissions. Many different strategies are currently employed to achieve CO2 separation and capture from fossil fuel power production, including post-combustion, pre-combustion, and oxyfuel.
Membrane systems have the potential to separate CO2 at lower costs and with lower energy penalties than other current strategies. High temperature CO2 permselective membranes could be applied to pre- and post-combustion processes for CO2 capture, but many current membrane technologies are perm-selective for CO2 at low temperatures only. Dense, nonporous ceramic membranes are known for their large selectivity for O2 over N2 and other gases, and high O2 permeance at high temperatures.
Invention Description
Researchers at Arizona State University have developed a tubular dual-phase membrane technology with an asymmetrical wall consisting of a molten carbonate entrapped in a porous perovskite-type or fluorite-type ceramic support, which can be used for high temperature CO2 separation. This invention is about membranes perm-selective to CO2 with high CO2 permeance observed at temperatures above 500 C. The researchers have also developed a method for manufacturing these tubular dual-phase membrane technology, involving a twice centrifugal casting technique, which allows the porous structure of the ceramic layer to be maintained after infiltration.
Potential Applications
- Membrane reactors for high temperature water gas shift reaction
- Steam reforming of methane for production of hydrogen and methanol
- Membrane reactors for other chemical reactions involving CO2
- CO2 separation and capture
Benefits & Advantages
- High CO2 capture rates
- High CO2 permeance
- Improved efficiency of manufacturing
- Less CO2 required for capture
Issued Patent: US 9,327,231