Electrochemical Membrane Reactors for Combined CO2/O2 Capture from Flue Gas and in Situ Conversion of Natural Gas

This presentation summarizes recent development at presenter’s lab on high-temperature mixed conducting membranes for carbon/oxygen capture and reactors for in situ utilization of the captured CO₂/O₂ as a soft oxidizer to catalytically convert methane into syngas through dry and dry-oxy reforming, into ethylene through oxidative coupling, and ethane (in NGLs) into ethylene through oxidative dehydrogenation. The working principles of the new electrochemical membranes will be first explained in detail. Then extensive laboratory results will be presented for each type of conversion with catalysis mechanisms explained. Finally, the potential of the new membrane reactors will be discussed.