Dual-phase Ce0.8Sm0.2O2−δ–La0.8Ca0.2Al0.3Fe0.7O3−δ oxygen permeation hollow fiber membrane for oxy-CO2 reforming of methane

Abstract

With the growing energy demand and depletion of fossil fuels, methane (CH₄) conversion technologies have garnered attention to produce derivative fuels and chemicals. We propose a dual-phase and cobalt-free hollow fiber membrane (HFM) composed of Ce_0.8Sm_0.2O_2−δ (SDC) and La_0.8Ca_0.2Al_0.3Fe_0.7O_3−δ (LCAF) for oxy-CO₂ reforming of methane (OCRM) with production of syngas and pure N₂. At 850 °C, the SDC–LCAF HFM demonstrated an oxygen permeation flow rate of 2.01 mL min⁻¹ with 10 mL min⁻¹ air feed and 10–10–20 mL min⁻¹ CH₄–CO₂–He permeate inlet flow rates. The SDC–LCAF membrane demonstrated excellent thermochemical stability and CO₂ resistance. When integrated with a 10 wt% Ni/SDC–LCAF catalyst, the OCRM performance of the resultant membrane reactor was achieved with high CH₄ and CO₂ conversions, and CO and H₂ selectivity of approximately 99.83%, 78.40%, 93.24%, and 83.76%, respectively. The reactor exhibited stable performance for 50 h, making it a promising solution for sustainable syngas and N₂ production.