Technology
- Ceramic Solid State Ionic Technologies
- Other Ceramatec Technologies
- Fuel Processing
- Synthetic Fuel
- Fly Ash Treatment for Reuse (Benefication)
- Compact Microchannel Heat Exchangers and Reactors
- Micro and Nano-Porous Ceramics
- Hazardous Gas Treatment
- Coatings
- Biomedical & Orthopedic Implants
- Nanopowder Synthesis
- Custom Electrode Development
- Advance Materials Processing & Development
- Heavy Oil & Shale Oil Upgrading
- Next Generation Catalyst Supports & Substrates
Hydrogen Separation / Purification
Advances in hydrogen membrane separation technologies have the potential to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and simplify hydrogen production. Traditionally, precious metals have been used as the hydrogen separation membrane. They do not provide a commercially viable solution due to high cost and applicability in practical high temperature environment where hydrogen rich gas is produced.
Ceramatec has developed two different ceramic-based separation / purification / enrichment technologies that are more cost effective and practically scalable. The first is a fully dense cermet-based system. The other is a ceramic membrane with tailored porosities that allows in selective enrichment of hydrogen.
Cermet Technology: The hydrogen separation membrane system alternative to precious metal membrane that has been extensively evaluated is cermet membrane, a ceramic – metal composite, but they also have been problematic. Ceramatec has developed a technology that uses a ceramic – ceramic composite that shows improved stability in syngas, as a pressure driven, high temperature hydrogen separation membrane to remove hydrogen from the syngas.
Thin, supported membrane
A full size ceramic wafer
Porous Ceramic Technology: Cercanam®, a porous ceramic where pores can be tailored in size and distribution from 100 nm to 10 micron, is made with with internal channels. These internal channel are loaded with desired catalyst. As the gas flows through these channels, the react first, and then diffuse through the ceramic membrane into adjacent (collection channel) leading to relatively purer hydrogen. By using this approach, we have successfully reformed methanol, methane, and diesel into hydrogen with high throughputs.
The ceramic device has a very small footprint: a device the size of a human fist can produce over 12 liters per minute of Hydrogen (H2) - enough to power a small auxiliary power unit.
It can combine the catalysis reaction (Hydrogen production) & separation (enrichment) into one step with H2/CO of 7:1. Current purity is >70% and can be higher depending on the design. This is still a significant improvement over the conventional syngas reactors (hydrogen ~50%). Next Gen design (to be demonstrated) is anticipated to produce >99% pure Hydrogen (H2).
Application
Modern gasifier and water-gas shift (WGS) reactor technology convert coal into synthesis gas, a mixture primarily of H2, CO, and CO2. Use of a membrane that is compatible with the temperature and pressure conditions of syngas make the membrane technology suitable for low cost production of hydrogen. One benefit of this approach is that it essentially isolates high pressure Carbon Dioxide (CO2) rich gas as the retentate which will be amenable to low cost capture and transport to storage sites. Other potential application would be chemical process enhancement.
The porous ceramic technology also has promise in biomass gasification where a specific ratio of CO to H2 is desired to obtain higher process efficiencies. Further, since it is stable at higher temperatures, it can easily be integarated inside the gasifier process flow for optimum results.