MIXED CONDUCTING MEMBRANE FOR SPONTANEOUS SULFUR RECOVERY

THE PROJECT IS BEING DIRECTED TOWARD DEVELOPING MIXED PROTON AND ELECTRON CONDUCTING PEROVSKITE MEMBRANES COMPATIBLE FOR PROMOTING THE SPONTANEOUS CONVERSION OF H2S INTO SEPARATED SULFUR AND WATER. H2S DECOMPOSITION RELIES UPON INITIAL DISSOCIATION TO H2 AND SX AT THE MEMBRANE OPERATING TEMPERATURE (700-800 DEGREES CENTIGRADE) FOLLOWED BY H2 OXIDATION AND ASSOCIATED PROTON MEDIATION THROUGH THE MEMBRANE AWAY FROM THE H2S REACTION SITE TO THE MEMBRANE OXYGEN REDUCTION SIDE. SINCE MEMBRANES WILL NOT CONDUCT O(2) SPECIES, FORMATION OF SOX IS AVOIDED. H2 CONVERSION EFFICIENCIES ANTICIPATED FROM THIS PROPOSED MEMBRANE REACTOR TECHNOLOGY ARE SUFFICIENTLY HIGH THAT TAIL GAS CLEANUP REQUIREMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH H2S DECOMPOSITION ARE LOWERED.