Catalysis - Reactive Separations: Ceramic Proton-Conducting Membrane Reactor for Steam Methane Reforming

Hydrogen is one of the most important reactants in the petroleum and chemical industries. The United States produces around 41 million metric tons of hydrogen annually, and the demand for hydrogen is expected to increase significantly with the building of the hydrogen economy. About 80% of hydrogen is produced through Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) of natural gas, in conjunction with the Water Gas Shift (WGS) reaction. Consequently, distributed hydrogen production from natural gas will be an important stepping stone for the hydrogen economy, since a natural gas infrastructure is already in place. This project will develop an electrochemically-driven, ceramic membrane reactor that will combine the steps of methane reforming, the water gas shift reaction, hydrogen separation, and hydrogen pressurization. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: A better integrated methane reforming process would improve the efficiency of hydrogen production, reduce the cost of hydrogen, reduce green house gas emissions, and reduce our nation¿s dependence on imported fossil fuels. Potential commercial applications include centralized high purity hydrogen production plants, distributed hydrogen production, and other reaction processes requiring hydrogen removal and pressurization.