Performance of an oxygen-permeable membrane reactor for partial oxidation of methane in coke oven gas to syngas

Perovskite-type oxygen-permeable membrane reactors of BaCo0.7Fe0.2Nb0.1O3 (delta) d packed with Ni-based catalyst had high oxygen permeability and could be used for syngas production by partial oxidation of methane in coke oven gas (COG). The BCFNO membrane itself had a poor catalytic activity to partial oxidation of CH4 in COG. After the catalyst was packed on the membrane surface, 92% of methane conversion, 90% of H-2 selectivity, 104% of CO selectivity and as high as 15 ml/cm(2)/min of oxygen permeation flux were obtained at 1148 K. During continuously operating for 550 h at 1148 K, no degradation of performance of the BCFNO membrane reactor was observed under the condition of hydrogen-rich COG. The possible reaction pathways were proposed to be an oxidation-reforming process. The oxidation of H-2 in COG with the surface oxygen on the permeation side improves the oxygen flux through the membrane, and H2O reacts with CH4 by reforming reactions to form H-2 and CO. Crown Copyright (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.