Abstract
Bioconversion of syngas (H2-CO-CO2) to organics is an excellent means of carbon recycling. Membrane-based gas-delivery systems can overcome the challenge of syngas’s low solubility in water. However, to maintain syngas conversion stoichiometry, it is crucial to have a membrane that delivers gases at high rates without selectivity toward any component. We synthesized an asymmetric, high-flux, low-selectivity hollow-fiber membrane, “small-defect-engineered”, to prevent bubble formation in future bioreactors. We created six sets of Matrimid membranes and screened their He/N2 selectivity and permeances. We compared the pressure-normalized flux of the set with the highest He/N2 permeance against a commercial symmetric membrane for a syngas mixture and its individual purified components. Under equal pressure, the asymmetric membrane exhibited 300-fold higher H2-flux, 80-fold higher CO-flux, and 100-fold higher CO2-flux than the symmetric membrane for pure gases. For the mixture, the asymmetric membrane had a 45-fold greater H2-flux, 100-fold greater CO-flux, and 400-fold greater CO2-flux than those of the symmetric membrane. Although the asymmetric membrane’s selectivity (H2:CO:CO2, 1:5.2:12) exceeded that of the commercial membranes (1:3:1.7), the asymmetric membrane possesses highly desirable traits for bioconversion of syngas, as its gas fluxes greatly exceed those of commercial membranes.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 649-654 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Environmental Science and Technology Letters |
Volume | 10 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 8 2023 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- asymmetric integrally skinned membrane
- Matrimid
- membrane selectivity
- permeance
- syngas
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Environmental Chemistry
- Ecology
- Water Science and Technology
- Waste Management and Disposal
- Pollution
- Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis