Catalytic hollow fibre membrane reactors for H2 production

Pre-combustion decarbonisation is one of the three main routes widely discussed for CO2 capture from fossil fuels. This thesis focuses on the development of a catalytic hollow fibre membrane reactor for the combined steam methane reforming (SMR) and water-gas shift (WGS) reaction, using a Ni-based catalyst, and at a temperature window suitable for harvesting pure H2, a clean energy carrier, from the reaction by a Pd membrane. Apart from developing the catalyst and the Pd-based composite membrane, which are normally considered as the two essential components of a membrane reactor involving hydrogen separation, this study introduces the concept of incorporating the catalyst into a micro-structured ceramic hollow fibre substrate to promote mass transfer efficiency. Meanwhile, the impact of each fabrication step, i.e. catalyst composition and preparation, ceramic hollow fibre fabrication, catalyst incorporation and electroless plating of Pd membranes, on the assembly and final performance of the catalytic hollow fibre membrane reactor was systematically evaluated. In contrast to previous studies involving micro-structured ceramic hollow fibres for catalytic reactions, the one developed in this study possesses a plurality of unique micro-channels, with significant openings on the inner surface of the ceramic hollow fibre. In addition to reduced mass transfer resistance for both catalytic reaction and hydrogen permeation, a microstructure of this type significantly facilitates catalyst incorporation and, as a results, enable the application of this hollow fibres for a wider spectrum of catalytic reactions.Open Acces