Ceramic–carbonate dual-phase membrane with improved chemical stability for carbon dioxide separation at high temperature

Abstract

This study examines membrane synthesis, structural stability, permeation properties, and long-term permeation stability of a new dense dual-phase membrane of composition La0.85Ce0.1Ga0.3Fe0.65Al0.05O3 − δ (LCGFA)–carbonate for high temperature CO2 separation. Porous ceramic supports made by sintering pressed powder at a temperature below its densification temperature resulted in a desired support with an open porosity ranging between 40 and 50%. The dual-phase membranes was prepared by direct infiltration of the ceramic supports in molten carbonate at 600 °C, resulting in a four order of magnitude decrease in permeance when compared to the support. LCGFA–carbonate membranes are stable when exposed to gases ranging from gas mixtures containing N2 and various concentrations of CO2 to simulated syngas, and exhibit a stable long term CO2 permeation flux of 0.025 mL·min− 1·cm− 2 for more than 275 h at 900 °C. The CO2 permeation results show exponential dependence to increasing system temperature as well as a linear dependence to logarithmic change in CO2 partial pressure gradients across the membrane in the CO2 pressure range studied.