Abstract
A membrane reactor consisting of a reactor and a separation membrane may be suitable to provide hydrogen from hydrocarbon in order to reduce carbon dioxide. In this study, a catalytic membrane reactor, a type of membrane reactor, was designed and tested to prove if both the reactions (dehydrogenation of lower hydrocarbons, and reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide) occur on each side of the membrane in the reactor as expected. As membrane materials, LaNi5 and CaNi5 were chosen. In the first step, lower hydrocarbons (methane, ethane, propane and butane) were dehydrogenated at one side of the membrane; another side was swept by an inert gas. Although all the hydrocarbons were dehydrogenated, the main products were hydrogen and a coke deposited on the membrane. In the second step, simultaneous feed of propane (one side) and carbon dioxide (another side) was tried if both the reaction (dehydrogenation of propane and reduction of carbon dioxide) occurs. Carbon dioxide was reduced to carbon monoxide; propane was dehydrogenated to give hydrogen and a coke on the membrane.
