A MEMBRANE REACTOR FOR THE SPONTANEOUS CONVERSION OF NATURAL GAS AND CARBON DIOXIDE MIXTURES INTO VALUABLE FEEDSTOCK

THIS PHASE I PROJECT WILL BE DIRECTED TOWARDS PROMOTING THE SPONTANEOUS CONVERSION OF METHANE/CARBON DIOXIDE MIXTURES INTO SYNTHESIS GAS WHICH WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR SUBSEQUENT CONVERSION INTO METHANOL. THIS WILL BE PERFORMED ACROSS NOVEL MIXED INONIC (O(2-)) AND ELECTRONIC CONDUCTING PEROVSKITE MEMBRANES OVER THE TEMPERATURE RANGE OF 600 TO 800 DEGREES CENTIGRADE. MEMBRANES WILL BEHAVE AS SHORT-CIRCUITED ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS. COMPARED TO CURRENT METHANE STEAM REFORMING TECHNOLOGY, WHICH IS ENDOTHERMIC AND REQUIRES SUBSEQUENT COMPOSITION ADJUSTMENT PRIOR TO THE METHANOL SYNTEHSIS STEP, THE NEW TECHNOLOGY WOULD BE BOTH SIMPLE AND INHERENTLY OF LOW COST. REFORMATION OF METHANE/CARBON DIOXIDE MIXTURES WILL RELY UPON O(2-) SPECIES BEING CONTINUOUSLY GENERATED AT AN APPROPRIATELY SELECTED CATALYST SITE ON THE OXIDIZING SIDE OF THE MEMBRANE.