FACILITATED TRANSPORT MEMBRANE FOR HOT COAL GAS DESULFURIZATION

ALTHOUGH INCREASED UTILIZATION OF AMERICAN COAL RESERVES REMAINS A PRIORITY FOR DOE, THE SULFUR CONTENT OF COAL GASESIS INCOMPATIBLE WITH MANY INTENDED USES, SUCH AS INTEGRATED GASIFICATION COMBINED-CYCLE (IGCC) SYSTEMS, FUEL CELL POWERPLANTS, AND AS A FEEDSTOCK IN THE CHEMICAL PROCESS INDUSTRY; IN ADDITION, SULFUR-CONTAINING EMISSIONS ARE ENVIRONMENTALLY OBJECTIONABLE. THE MOST DEVELOPED DESULFURIZATION TECHNOLOGY EMPLOYS BULKY CYEMICAL SORBENTS IN A BATCH-TYPE PROCESS. MEMBRANE-BASED SYSTEMS ARE GENERALLY PREFERABLE, BUT AVAILABLE PASSIVE CERAMIC MEMBRANES ARE NOT SUFFICIENTLY SELECTIVE TO BE ECONOMICALLY COMPETITIVE. ELECTROCHEM PROPOSES THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NOVEL TYPE OF IMPERVIOUS MEMBRANE WHICH ACCOMPLISHES EFFECTIVE HIGH TEMPERATURE HIGH PRESSURE GAS DESULFURIZATIONBY AN EXTREMELY SELECTIVE FACILITATED TRANSPORT MECHANISM. THE SULFUR IS RELEASED EITHER AS ELEMENTAL SULFUR VAPOR WHICH IS VALUABLE COMMODITY EASILY RECOVERABLE FOR SALE ON THE COMMERCIAL MARKET. THE PHASE I TECHNICAL EFFORT WILL INCLUDE PREPARATION OF APPROPRIATE MEMBRANES; CHARACTERIZATION WITH RESPECT TO FILMTHICKNESS AND COMPOSITION, PERMEABILITY, AND CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL STABILITY; AND DEMONSTRATION OF THE CONCEPT IN A LABORATORY-SCALE SIMULATED COAL GAS DESULFURIZATION REACTOR.