Lili Cai

Catalytic membrane reactors based on oxygen‐permeable membranes are recently studied for hydrogen separation because their hydrogen separation rates and separation factors are comparable to those of Pd‐based membranes. New membrane materials with high performance and good tolerance to CO₂ and H₂S impurities are highly desired. In this work, a new membrane material Ce_0.85Sm_0.15O_1.925–Sr₂Fe_1.5Mo_0.5O_6‐δ (SDC–SFM) was prepared for hydrogen separation. It exhibits high conductivities at low oxygen partial pressures, which is benefit to electron transfer and ion diffusion. A high hydrogen separation rate of 6.6 mL cm⁻² min⁻¹ was obtained on a 0.5‐mm‐thick membrane coated with Ni/SDC catalyst at 900°C. The membrane reactor was operated steadily for 532 h under atmospheres containing CO₂ and H₂S impurities. Various characterizations reveal that SDC–SFM has good stability in the membrane reactor for hydrogen separation. All facts confirm that SDC–SFM is promising for hydrogen separation in practical applications. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 65: 1088–1096, 2019

We propose a new method for hydrogen separation using an oxygen-permeable ceramic membrane, and achieve a high hydrogen separation rate comparable to those of Pd-based membranes and excellent stability under a H ₂ S-containing atmosphere.