Membrane dehumidification process using defect-free hollow fiber membrane

Abstract

Water vapor removal by the polymeric membrane to reduce the energy cost during the water–gas shift reaction in a catalytic membrane reactor was investigated. In this study, polyamideimide (PAI) defect-free hollow fiber membranes were produced by a dry/wet phase inversion method. The purpose of this study was to investigate the water vapor removal efficiency under high pressure and high temperature. The morphologies of the hollow fiber membranes were characterized by SEM. The water vapor and hydrogen mixed gas separation properties were used to verify the performance of a defect-free membrane. The water vapor removal efficiency increased from 54% to 90% (at 120 °C) as a function of the operating conditions because of the enhanced water vapor flux. However, the H2 retention ratio was negatively related to the water removal efficiency.