Experimental Investigation of the Application of Ionic Liquids to Methanol Synthesis in Membrane Reactors

Abstract

In this study, a high-pressure membrane reactor (MR) was employed to carry out the methanol synthesis (MeS) reaction. Syngas was fed into the MR shell side where a commercial MeS catalyst was used, while the tube side was swept with a high boiling point liquid with good solubility toward methanol. A mesoporous alumina ceramic membrane was utilized after its surface had been modified to be rendered more hydrophobic. The efficiency of the MR was investigated under a variety of experimental conditions (different pressures, temperatures, sweep liquid flow rates, and types of sweep liquids). The results reveal improved per single-pass carbon conversions when compared to the conventional packed-bed reactor. An ionic liquid (IL), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, was utilized in the MR as the sweep liquid. The experimental results are compared to those previously reported by our group (J. Membrane Sci.2019570103) while using a conventional petroleum-derived solvent as sweep liquid, tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether (TGDE). Enhanced carbon conversion (over the petroleum-derived solvent) was obtained using the IL.

COx Fixation to Elementary Building Blocks: Anaerobic Syngas Fermentation vs. Chemical Catalysis

“…While the quench reactor is simpler to operate, easier for changing the catalyst and less expensive, the isothermal reactor provides better temperature control, which increases catalyst activity, enables higher single-pass conversion, reduces catalyst deactivation and reduces by-product formation [12]. Novel reactor concepts such as microstructured [44,45] and membrane reactors [46][47][48] have been also proposed to optimize the process efficiency and product purity.…”

Rigorous and Customizable 1D Simulation Framework for Membrane Reactors to, in Principle, Enhance Synthetic Methanol Production

“…Moreover, they offer a unique opportunity to merge the reaction and separation in one single piece of equipment. Different membrane designs and prototypes are proposed and studied by several publications. − A theoretical and experimental investigation was performed by Chen and Yuan . They developed an isothermal MR for the methanol synthesis utilizing a silicone rubber/ceramic composite MR.…”

“…The analysis of variance (ANOVA) and response surface methodologies were applied by Leonzio to analyze the equilibrium system and investigate the effect of different factors on the system. A novel MR design was assembled by Li et al , The reaction takes place in the shell side, while the inside of the tabular membrane was swept with a high boiling point organic solvent, in which methanol is highly soluble. In this design, methanol permeates through the tube, which was made of an asymmetric hydrophobic ceramic membrane.…”

Integration of Ammonia Synthesis Gas Production and N2O Decomposition into a Membrane Reactor

“…In recent years, coupling multiple catalytic reactions together through a membrane reactor is considered to be an effective way to achieve process intensification. ,− Methane partial oxidation, water splitting, carbon dioxide decomposition, and other reactions can be efficiently carried out by membrane reactors. − Here, we propose a membrane reactor that can efficiently couple the decomposition of N 2 O with water-splitting reactions and directly produce synthesis gas for ammonia production. The concept of this membrane reactor is shown in Figure .…”