Shude Zhang, Jason Yi Juang Yeo, Jaka Sunarso, Femiana Gapsari, Jian Song, Shaomin Liu
Membrane reactor technology utilizing O2-selective mixed-ionic electronic conducting materials enables the production of syngas through thermochemical conversion of CO2 and H2O into CO and H2 at a relatively low temperature below 1000 °C. This syngas production can be further intensified by coupling with partial oxidation of methane (CH4) (POM), which increases the overall syngas production rate. Additionally, the high O2 permeability of the membrane reactor enables a tunable H2/CO ratio in syngas production through feed gas flow control and reduced localized hotspots to minimize carbon buildup, thereby enhancing the overall process efficiency and stability. Herein, we presented a promising hollow fiber membrane material composed of 60 wt% Sm0.2Ce0.8O2−δ-40 wt% La0.8Ca0.2Al0.3Fe0.7O3-δ (SDC-LCAF) loaded with 10 wt% Ni/SDC for CO2-H2O co-decomposition (shell side) and coated with Ni/LaNiO3/γ-Al2O3 for POM (lumen side), which exhibited no performance degradation over 100 h of continuous operation at 950 °C. The CO2-H2O co-decomposition has achieved a syngas production rate of 10.79 mL min−1 cm−2, with a H2:CO ratio of ∼ 2 and a CO2 conversion of 47.43 %. Besides, the syngas production rate by POM was recorded at 18.46 mL min−1 cm−2 and a maximum H2:CO ratio of ∼ 1.8 was observed on the lumen side, whereas the CH4 conversion and CO selectivity have reached 96.17 % and 93.1 %, respectively. Further investigation into the effects of gas compositions and flow rates to the membrane reactor performances as well as the underlying reaction mechanisms were systematically discussed. The membrane reactor's ability in efficient syngas production showcases its potential to facilitate sustainable methanol and hydrogen synthesis through efficient conversion of greenhouse gases and hydrocarbon utilization, thereby advancing the sustainable carbon value chain. © 2025 The Author(s)
State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, College of Chemical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China; Dongguan Key Laboratory of Intelligent Equipment and Smart Industry, School of Engineering, Great Bay University, Dongguan, 523000, China; Research Centre for Sustainable Technologies, Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Science, Swinburne University of Technology, Sarawak, Kuching, 93350, Malaysia; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Brawijaya University, MT Haryono 167, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Department of Chemical Engineering, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, 255049, China
