Ceramic membranes for energy applications and CO2 capture
Lead Research Organisation:
Newcastle University
Department Name: Chemical Engineering & Advanced Material
Abstract
Membranes in general provide very significant opportunities for process intensification. In particular there is a large range of energy-related applications for high temperature ceramic membranes that is as yet poorly explored. This Platform Grant proposal is aimed at underpinning our joint group in the field of high temperature membranes for energy applications and CO2 capture. This research encompasses membrane catalysis, novel multi-functional membrane fabrication and structural and transport characterisation as well as application. The work will involve a highly multi-disciplinary effort with a world-leading team of investigators/researchers comprising membrane technologists, chemical engineers, chemists and material scientists. The research to be performed will call upon the complementary expertise of this team to examine a number of key challenges so that new oxygen, hydrogen and steam permeable ceramic membranes can be developed in an applied context making the production of low carbon energy and carbon capture processes possible. The applications for these membranes have the potential to be truly disruptive. The proposal is distinctive in that the PDRAs employed on the grant will travel to internationally leading groups for extended training visits. This will strengthen our research capability and increase the employability of the PDRAs.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Ian Metcalfe (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Metcalfe I
(2010)
An integrated approach to energy and chemicals production
in Energy Environ. Sci.
Wu Z
(2010)
A novel dual-layer ceramic hollow fibre membrane reactor for methane conversion
in Journal of Membrane Science
Wang B
(2011)
A further investigation of the kinetic demixing/decomposition of La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-d oxygen separation membranes
in Journal of Membrane Science
Jalil M
(2012)
Influence of impurities and catalyst surface characteristics on the oxygen charge transfer reaction in the Pt/YSZ system
in Solid State Ionics
Ibrahim N
(2012)
The role of low coverage sodium surface species on electrochemical promotion in a Pt/YSZ system
in Solid State Ionics
Thursfield A
(2012)
Chemical looping and oxygen permeable ceramic membranes for hydrogen production - a review
in Energy & Environmental Science
Poulidi D
(2012)
Electrochemical promotion of a Pt catalyst supported on La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-d hollow fibre membranes
in Solid State Ionics
Ibrahim N
(2012)
The role of sodium surface species on oxygen charge transfer in the Pt/YSZ system
in Electrochimica Acta
Wu Z
(2012)
Effects of separation layer thickness on oxygen permeation and mechanical strength of DL-HFMR-ScSZ
in Journal of Membrane Science
Thursfield A
(2013)
High temperature gas separation through dual ion-conducting membranes
in Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering
| Description | ongoing investigation into existing and new oxygen transport membrane systems for hydrogen, synthesis gas, and carbon dioxide capture. a new dual phase membrane system consisting of a ceramic oxide support and molten carbonate phase for carbon dioxide transport, trials indicates it's feasibility. a new gas-solid oxygen exchange methodhas been developed. It offers a simple, rapid and relatively inexpensive technique to determine oxygen exchange at the surface of ceramic oxide membranes. The establishment of new collaborative links with the University of Twente, Eindhoven Technical University and the Belgian government research centre, VITO, have allowed further work with e.g., the supply of new membrane systems for testing. |
| Exploitation Route | Please see the Exploitation routes section. Non academic exploitation potentially includes industrial bodies, namely power generation from fossil fuels in which CO2 is produced and industries in which synthesis gas is required. This technology may also be of benefit in the carbon credit scheme, a benefit to the UK government. ceramic membranes hold potential to be used in the Advanced Zero Emissions Power Plant (AZEP) for the capture of CO2 at fossil fuel power stations, an alternative strategy to using the expensive and energy intensive monoethanolamine CO2 solvent. The membranes can also be used to produce useful synthesis gas from methane in a partial oxidation process. This offers a cheaper method to synthesis gas production, currently achieved by steam reforming of methane- an expensive, energy intesive method. From synthesis gas methanol can be manufactured, from methanol other chemicals can be produced. |
| Sectors | Chemicals,Energy,Environment |
| URL | http://research.ncl.ac.uk/appcat/funding/ |
| Title | Pressure relaxation |
| Description | Pressure change is used to look at surface exchange and diffusion in materials |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | Generating high quality data for novel materials |
| Title | Pulsed isotope oxygen exchange |
| Description | A short pulse of isotopicallly-labelled oxygen is introduced into a sample environment containing e.g. an oxide with active oxygen capacity. The fate of the oxygen is followed using an on-line mass spectrometer. The oxygen is either lost to the sample, scrambled with normal oxygen or eluted. From the mole fractions in the outlet one can determine rate constant for oxygen uptake and dissociation. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | There has not been any impact yet from this work. |
| Description | Characterisation of Pt electrocatalysts using different analytical techniques |
| Organisation | Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) |
| Department | Institute of Catalysis and Petrochemistry |
| Country | Spain |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | The main purpose of this work was to characterize the different types of platinum-based electrochemical catalysts, by different techniques such as: H2 Chemisorption, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and temperature programmed reduction (TPR), in order to establish relationships between structure and electrocatalytic behaviour in different proof reactions (e.g. ethylene oxidation, carbon monoxide oxidation). |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | Development of high temperature glass sealants for LSCF6428 and LSF731 membranes |
| Organisation | Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) |
| Department | Institute of Glass and Ceramic |
| Country | Spain |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | 1. Development of high temperature glass sealants for LSCF6428 and LSF731 membranes (proposed temperature of operation 900 oC) 2. Glass preparation (melting) 3. TEC measurements by dilatometry. 4. Hot-stage microscopy tests using three compositions of high temperature sealants with and without mixing with LSCF /LSF powders to test adhesion. 5. SEM of the sealant-pellet interfaces. |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | Pulsed isotopic exchange technique for the determination of surface oxygen exchange in metal oxides |
| Organisation | University of Twente |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | a collaboration initiated with Dr H.J.M. Bouwmeester of Twente University, Inorganic Membranes Group. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Twente have attended meetings to brainstorm on approaches to developing this technique. |
| Impact | None yet. |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | collaborative links with VITO, Mol, Belgium |
| Organisation | Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO) |
| Country | Belgium |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | discussion with researchers at the VITO institute at Mol, Belgium held on October 13th 2010 |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | proton conductivity measurements on novel La-Nb based electroceramic |
| Organisation | Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) |
| Department | Institute of Glass and Ceramic |
| Country | Spain |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | unexpected proton conductivity of La-Nb based electroceramic investigated using conductivity measurements. this is part of our onginig search for new electroceramic oxides, especially those with significant n-type conductivity. |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | Carbon dioxide capture from combustion and hydrogen production processes: membranes and periodic reactor operation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Invited seminar at the Risø National Laboratory, Roskilde, Denmark. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010 |
| Description | Carbon dioxide capture: membrane and sorbents for simultaneous reaction and separation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Invited seminar at the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cambridge. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009 |
| Description | Ceramic Membranes for energy applications and CO2 capture |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | general talk outlining the application of perovskites for hydrogen production and CO2 capture. talk to stake holders; universities, industry. Talk given by UK government representative. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009 |
| Description | Ceramic oxygen permeation membranes for carbon capture from combustion processes |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Invited Seminar at the University of La Laguna, Tenerife. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009 |
| Description | High temperature membrane and cyclic processes for hydrogen production with carbon capture |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Invited seminar at the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen's University Belfast. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010 |