Development of dense ceramic membranes for methane conversion

Conference · Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1995

OSTI ID:195636

Balachandran, U; Dusek, J T; Maiya, P S; Ma, B; Mieville, R L ^[1]; Kleefisch, M S; Udovich, C A; Fleisch, T H ^[2]; Bose, A C ^[3]

---

1. Argonne National Lab., IL (United States). Energy Technology Div.
2. Amoco Exploration/Production, Naperville, IL (United States)
3. USDOE Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center, PA (United States)

The most significant cost associated with partial oxidation of methane to syngas is that of the oxygen plant. In this paper, the authors offer a technology, based on dense ceramic membranes, that uses air as the oxidant for methane conversion reactions, thus eliminating the need for the oxygen plant. Certain ceramic materials exhibit both electronic and ionic conductivities (of particular interest is oxygen-ion conductivity). These materials transport not only oxygen ions (functioning as selective oxygen separators) but also electrons back from the reactor side to the oxygen/reduction interface. No external electrodes are required, and, if the driving potential of transport is adequate, the partial oxidation reactions should be spontaneous. Such a system will operate without an externally applied potential. Oxygen is transported across the ceramic material in the form of oxygen ions, not oxygen molecules. Recent reports in the literature suggest that dense ceramic membranes made of these mixed conductors can successfully separate oxygen from air at flux rates that could be considered commercially feasible. Thus, these membranes have the potential to improve the economics of methane conversion processes. In principle, the dense ceramic materials can be shaped into hollow-tube reactors, in which air passes over the outside of the membrane and methane flows through the inside. The surfaces can also be reversed. The membrane is permeable to oxygen at high temperatures, but not to nitrogen or other gases. Thus, only oxygen from air can be transported through the membrane to the inside of the reactor surface, where it reacts with methane. Other geometric forms, such as honeycombs or corrugations, of the reactor are possible and can provide substantially greater surface areas for reaction.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 195636
• Report Number(s): ANL/ET/CP-85511; CONF-9511172-1; ON: DE96005222; TRN: AHC29605%%11
• Resource Relation: Conference: 4. international natural gas conversion symposium, Kruger National Park (South Africa), 19-23 Nov 1995; Other Information: PBD: Jun 1995
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
03 NATURAL GAS
10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
METHANE
PARTIAL OXIDATION PROCESSES
OXYGEN
MEMBRANE TRANSPORT
CERAMICS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
FABRICATION
SYNTHESIS GAS
PRODUCTION
IONIC CONDUCTIVITY
AIR
SEPARATION PROCESSES
LANTHANUM OXIDES
STRONTIUM OXIDES
IRON OXIDES
COBALT OXIDES
BULK DENSITY
FLEXURAL STRENGTH
BENDING
FRACTURE PROPERTIES
YOUNG MODULUS
SHEAR PROPERTIES
POISSON RATIO
THERMAL EXPANSION
PERMEABILITY
X-RAY DIFFRACTION