Hydrogen transport membranes for dehydrogenation reactions
AssigneeUchicago Argonne, LLC
InventorUthamalingam Balachandran
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Abstract
A method of converting C2 and/or higher alkanes to olefins by contacting a feedstock containing C2 and/or higher alkanes with a first surface of a metal composite membrane of a sintered homogenous mixture of an Al oxide or stabilized or partially stabilized Zr oxide ceramic powder and a metal powder of one or more of Pd, Nb, V, Zr, Ta and/or alloys or mixtures thereof. The alkanes dehydrogenate to olefins by contact with the first surface with substantially only atomic hydrogen from the dehydrogenation of the alkanes passing through the metal composite membrane. Apparatus for effecting the conversion and separation is also disclosed.
Claims12
An apparatus for converting C2 and/or higher alkanes to olefins, comprising (a) a supply of feedstock containing C2 and/or higher alkanes, (b) a metal composite membrane of a sintered homogenous mixture of a metal oxide ceramic powder including stabilized or partially stabilized ZrO2 and a metal powder consisting essentially of Pd, a Pd alloy, or a combination thereof, wherein the membrane has substantially no interconnected porosity, (c) a mechanism for contacting said feedstock with one side of said membrane wherein the C2 and/or higher alkanes dehydrogenate to olefins by contact with said membrane and atomic hydrogen from the dehydrogenation of the alkanes passes through said membrane to another side thereof, and (d) a mechanism for separating the formed olefins from said one side of said membrane while separating atomic hydrogen from said other side.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.