H2 Production from Coal, Using Syn-Gas Depolarized Steam Electronics Membranes

The production of hydrogen, especially pure hydrogen, from fossil fuels and other organic sources is undesirably costly, and purifying the hydrogen is a major cost element. Low-cost durable membranes, with functionality to carry out the water-gas shift reaction, could reduce the cost of coal gasification plants by 25% or more. This project will establish mixed oxide-ion and electron-conducting membranes as promising candidates for the production of hydrogen from syn-gas. The new membranes will provide: (1) stability in the presence of syn-gas components; (2) stability on the sweep-gas side, with practical sweep concentrations and flow rates; and (3) sufficient flux to assure cost-competitive performance under the challenging operating conditions of coal gasifiers. Phase I will demonstrate that oxide-conducting membranes have adequate chemical and micro-structural stability and flux for low-cost bulk hydrogen production from syn-gas. The membranes will be fabricated and tested to verify adequate hydrogen flux and membrane stability at bench-scale. In addition, , the membrane will be analyzed for microstructure changes, and the results will be correlated with performance. Finally, the catalytic activity of the membrane for the water-gas shift reaction will be determined. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The new membrane should have significantly more chemical and physical stability in the presence of coal-derived gas than competing membranes, providing performance and cost advantages compared to other membranes and to pressure-swing absorption processes. In addition, the membrane would produce a highly-concentrated, carbon dioxide product stream, enabling inexpensive capture for sequestration.