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Membrane Processes for Decarbonisation
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Membrane Processes for Decarbonisation

A special issue of Gases (ISSN 2673-5628).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2024) | Viewed by 13016

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Faizan Ahmad

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering, Teesside University, Middlesbrough TS1 3BX, UK
Interests: gas separation; CO2 capture; hydrogen purification; membrane processes; process simulation
Dr. Asim Khan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, Defense Road, Punjab 54000, Pakistan
Interests: mixed matrix membranes; pervaporation; CO2 capture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s emissions pathways framework envisions a large-scale application of decarbonisation technologies to reach zero-emissions within the 21st century, followed by negative-emissions. These technologies include but are not limited to Hydrogen Economy and Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS). Hydrogen Economy refers to the insights of using hydrogen as a low-carbon energy source – replacing conventional fossil fuels, mainly for transport and domestic heating applications. CCUS is the process of capturing, utilizing, and/or storing carbon dioxide before it is emitted into the atmosphere. Membrane processes play a crucial role in solving key tasks for the development of these decarbonization technologies due to their lower power usage and costs, simplicity in operation, and their compactness and portability.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to present recent progress in membrane processes for decarbonisation technologies. The topics include but are not limited to polymeric membranes, inorganic membranes, facilitated transport membranes, mixed matrix membranes, hybrid membrane processes, polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs), carbon capture and utilization, global greenhouse gas emissions, direct air carbon capture, hydrogen production and hydrogen purification for fuel cell applications.

Dr. Faizan Ahmad
Dr. Asim Khan
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • gas separation
  • CO2 capture
  • carbon capture and utilization
  • hydrogen production
  • hydrogen purification
  • membranes
  • global greenhouse gas emissions

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 12268 KiB  
Article
Morphology Behavior of Polysulfone Membranes Made from Sustainable Solvents
by Steven Kluge, Karla Hartenauer and Murat Tutuş
Gases 2024, 4(3), 133-152; https://doi.org/10.3390/gases4030008 - 25 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1216
Abstract
In a previous study, we demonstrated a change in membrane morphology and gas separation performance by varying the recipe of a casting solution based on polysulfone in a certain solvent system. Although all results were reproducible, all used solvents were harmful and not [...] Read more.
In a previous study, we demonstrated a change in membrane morphology and gas separation performance by varying the recipe of a casting solution based on polysulfone in a certain solvent system. Although all results were reproducible, all used solvents were harmful and not sustainable. In this study, the solvents tetrahydrofuran (THF) and N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) are replaced by the more sustainable solvents 2-methyl-tetrahydrofuran (2M-THF), N-butyl pyrrolidinone (NBP) and cyclopentyl methyl ether (CPME). The gas permeation performance and, for the first time, morphology of the membranes before and after solvent replacement were determined and compared by single gas permeation measurements and SEM microscopy. It is shown that THF can be replaced by 2M-THF and NBP without decreasing the gas permeation performance. With CPME replacing THF, no membranes were formed. Systems with 2M-THF as a THF alternative showed the best gas permeation results. Permeances for the tested gases oxygen (O2), nitrogen (N2), carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) were 5.91 × 10−2, 8.84 × 10−3, 4.00 × 10−1 and 1.00 × 10−2 GPU, respectively. Permselectivities of those membranes for the gas pairs O2/N2, CO2/N2 and CO2/CH4 were 6.7, 38.3 and 34.0, respectively. When also replacing DMAc in the solvent system, no or only porous membranes were obtained, even if the precipitation procedure was adjusted. These findings indicate that a complete replacement of the solvent system without affecting the membrane morphology or gas permeation performance is not possible. By varying the temperature of the precipitation bath, the formation of mechanically stable PSU membranes is possible only if THF is replaced by 2M-THF. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membrane Processes for Decarbonisation)
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8 pages, 2041 KiB  
Communication
Effect of Mixing Technique on Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Blended Membranes for Gas Separation
by Danial Qadir, Humbul Suleman and Faizan Ahmad
Gases 2023, 3(4), 136-143; https://doi.org/10.3390/gases3040009 - 26 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1415
Abstract
Polymer blending has attracted considerable attention because of its ability to overcome the permeability–selectivity trade-off in gas separation applications. In this study, polysulfone (PSU)-modified cellulose acetate (CA) membranes were prepared using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) using a dry–wet phase inversion technique. [...] Read more.
Polymer blending has attracted considerable attention because of its ability to overcome the permeability–selectivity trade-off in gas separation applications. In this study, polysulfone (PSU)-modified cellulose acetate (CA) membranes were prepared using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) using a dry–wet phase inversion technique. The membranes were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for morphological analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) for thermal stability, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to identify the chemical changes on the surface of the membranes. Our analyses confirmed that the mixing method (the route chosen for preparing the casting solution for the blended membranes) significantly influences the morphological and thermal properties of the resultant membranes. The blended membranes exhibited a transition from a finger-like pore structure to a dense substructure in the presence of macrovoids. Similarly, thermal analysis confirmed the improved residual weight (up to 7%) and higher onset degradation temperature (up to 10 °C) of the synthesized membranes. Finally, spectral analysis confirmed that the blending of both polymers was physical only. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membrane Processes for Decarbonisation)
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14 pages, 2124 KiB  
Article
Hydrogen Purification through a Membrane–Cryogenic Integrated Process: A 3 E’s (Energy, Exergy, and Economic) Assessment
by Ahmad Naquash, Amjad Riaz, Fatma Yehia, Yus Donald Chaniago, Hankwon Lim and Moonyong Lee
Gases 2023, 3(3), 92-105; https://doi.org/10.3390/gases3030006 - 27 Jun 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 6396
Abstract
Hydrogen (H2) is known for its clean energy characteristics. Its separation and purification to produce high-purity H2 is becoming essential to promoting a H2 economy. There are several technologies, such as pressure swing adsorption, membrane, and cryogenic, which can [...] Read more.
Hydrogen (H2) is known for its clean energy characteristics. Its separation and purification to produce high-purity H2 is becoming essential to promoting a H2 economy. There are several technologies, such as pressure swing adsorption, membrane, and cryogenic, which can be adopted to produce high-purity H2; however, each standalone technology has its own pros and cons. Unlike standalone technology, the integration of technologies has shown significant potential for achieving high purity with a high recovery. In this study, a membrane–cryogenic process was integrated to separate H2 via the desublimation of carbon dioxide. The proposed process was designed, simulated, and optimized in Aspen Hysys. The results showed that the H2 was separated with a 99.99% purity. The energy analysis revealed a net-specific energy consumption of 2.37 kWh/kg. The exergy analysis showed that the membranes and multi-stream heat exchangers were major contributors to the exergy destruction. Furthermore, the calculated total capital investment of the proposed process was 816.2 m$. This proposed process could be beneficial for the development of a H2 economy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membrane Processes for Decarbonisation)
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15 pages, 4781 KiB  
Article
Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis of a Hollow Fiber Membrane Module for Binary Gas Mixture
by Salman Qadir, Muhammad Ahsan and Arshad Hussain
Gases 2023, 3(2), 77-91; https://doi.org/10.3390/gases3020005 - 22 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2824
Abstract
The membrane gas separation process has gained significant attention using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique. This study considered the CFD method to find gas concentration profiles in a hollow fiber membrane (HFM) module to separate the binary gas mixture. The membrane was [...] Read more.
The membrane gas separation process has gained significant attention using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique. This study considered the CFD method to find gas concentration profiles in a hollow fiber membrane (HFM) module to separate the binary gas mixture. The membrane was considered with a fiber thickness where each component’s mass fluxes could be obtained based on the local partial pressures, solubility, diffusion, and the membrane’s selectivity. COMSOL Multiphysics was used to solve the numerical solution at corresponding operating conditions and results were compared to experimental data. The two different mixtures, CO2/CH4 and N2/O2, were investigated to obtain concentration gradient and mass flux profiles of CO2 and O2 species in an axial direction. This study allows assessing the feed pressure’s impact on the HFM system’s overall performance. These results demonstrate that the increment in feed pressures decreased the membrane system’s separation performance. The impact of hollow fiber length indicates that increasing the active fiber length has a higher effective mass transfer region but dilutes the permeate-side purities of O2 (46% to 28%) and CO2 (93% to 73%). The results show that increasing inlet pressure and a higher concentration gradient resulted in higher flux through the membrane. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membrane Processes for Decarbonisation)
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