Abstract
Membrane gas separation has potential for the recovery and purification of helium, because the majority of membranes have selectivity for helium. This review reports on the current state of the research and patent literature for membranes undertaking helium separation. This includes direct recovery from natural gas, as an ancillary stage in natural gas processing, as well as niche applications where helium recycling has potential. A review of the available polymeric and inorganic membranes for helium separation is provided. Commercial gas separation membranes in comparable gas industries are discussed in terms of their potential in helium separation. Also presented are the various membrane process designs patented for the recovery and purification of helium from various sources, as these demonstrate that it is viable to separate helium through currently available polymeric membranes. This review places a particular focus on those processes where membranes are combined in series with another separation technology, commonly pressure swing adsorption. These combined processes have the most potential for membranes to produce a high purity helium product. The review demonstrates that membrane gas separation is technically feasible for helium recovery and purification, though membranes are currently only applied in niche applications focused on reusing helium rather than separation from natural sources.
Highlights
Helium is a noble gas that has a wide range of applications in important scientific, medical and industrial applications [1,2]
This review examines the current state of the literature for helium recovery and purification by membrane gas separation
The major developments in membranes technology will be in process developments, as currently available polymeric and inorganic membranes have the required permselectivity to achieve the desired separation in many of the potential helium recovery situations
Summary
Helium is a noble gas that has a wide range of applications in important scientific, medical and industrial applications [1,2] These industries take advantage of helium’s very low boiling temperature and chemically inert nature [3]. The global usage of helium has grown by 990 million cubic feet from 2000 to 2015, and as such the helium price has risen from US$50 to US$104 per thousand cubic feet in that time [4,5] To meet this demand new helium production facilities have recently been commissioned in Qatar and Australia [6]. A major focus of the review is the discussion of membrane process strategies for helium recovery, including those presented in the patent literature, given the importance of the membrane process in gas separation economics [8]. This review aims to inform the membrane research community on the potential application of helium separation
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
