Solid state proton and electron mediating membrane and use in catalytic membrane reactors
AssigneeEltron Research, Inc.
InventorsJames H. White, Michael Schwartz, Anthony F. Sammells
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Abstract
Mixed electron- and proton-conducting metal oxide materials are provided. These materials are useful in fabrication of membranes for use in catalytic membrane reactions, particularly for promoting dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons, oligomerization of hydrocarbons and for the decomposition of hydrogen-containing gases. Membrane materials are perovskite compounds of the formula: AB1−xB′xO3−y where A=Ca, Sr, or Ba; B=Ce, Tb, Pr or Th; B′=Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni or Cu; 0.2≦x≦0.5, and y is a number sufficient to neutralize the charge in the mixed metal oxide material.
Claims15
A process for dehydrogenating an alkane-containing gas comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a catalytic membrane reactor cell having an oxidation zone and a reduction zone separated from each other by a catalytic membrane having an oxidation surface and a reduction surface and which catalytic membrane is a single-phase mixed metal oxide material of the formula
- AB1−xB′xO3−y
- where A=Ca, Sr, or Ba;
- B=Ce, Tb, Pr, or Th;
- and B′=Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni or Cu;
- y is a number sufficient to neutralize the charge;
- and 0.02≦x≦0.5;
- (b) heating the catalytic membrane cell to a temperature from 300° C. to 1,200° C.;
- (c) introducing the alkane-containing gas into said oxidation zone in contact with the oxidation surface of said membrane to thereby dehydrogenate the alkane-containing gas;
- and
- (d) introducing an oxygen-containing gas, inert gas or a partial vacuum into said reduction zone in contact with the reduction surface of said membrane to thereby reduce the oxygen-containing gas;
- wherein the alkane-containing gas is capable of being dehydrogenated on contact with the membrane in said oxidation zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.