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Affinity Ceramic Membranes with Carbon Dioxide Transport
Channel--Media and Process Technology, Inc., 1155 William
Pitt Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15238-1368;
412-826-3721
Dr. Paul K. T. Liu,
Principal Investigator
Dr. Paul K. T. Liu,
Business Official
DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-00ER83045
Amount: $100,000
The development of
affinity membranes has been identified as one of the key areas with potential
to offer a quantum leap in membrane-based separation technology. Modifications of surface functionality to
offer a specific affinity are being actively pursued currently by polymeric
membrane researchers. However, in the
area of inorganic membranes, few similar activities exist. This proposal addresses the development of
an affinity inorganic membrane. In this
proposal we present an innovative inorganic membrane, which can demonstrate
separations based upon affinity while still maintaining its material stability
under harsh environments. This
inorganic membrane will be formed with a unique type of inorganic material,
(with a specific affinity to CO2), which will be supported on porous
ceramic substrates available commercially from our company. In addition to its CO2 affinity,
this membrane is expected to be hydrothermally stable for many industrial
applications. A CO2 -affinity
ceramic membrane will be synthesized with an innovative, but practical, 3-step
approach. Then, its affinity to CO2
will be evaluated via measuring
its CO2 /He and CO2 /CH4 permeance ratios at
various temperatures. In parallel, we
will perform characterization study of the selected material as fundamentals
for further process development.
Commercial Applications and Other Benefits
as described by the awardee: Many
existing and emerging applications can benefit from the use of the CO2-affinity
inorganic membrane proposed here, including CO2 removal in natural
gas processing, landfill gas recovery, power generation and hydrogen
production.