Metallic Nickel Hollow Fiber Membrane Reactors to Convert Methane and Carbon Dioxide for Hydrogen and Syngas Production via Dry Reforming

Abstract

CH₄ and CO₂ are two major greenhouse gases, and converting them into useful chemicals (hydrogen and syngas) via dry reforming would be one of the best strategies. The utilization of membrane reactors enables the integration of H₂ production and separation into a single unit. Herein, we investigated the hollow fiber (HF) membrane reactor performance for H₂ production through dry reforming of methane (DRM) at various operating conditions. Ni hollow fiber membranes alleviate carbon deposition in DRM processes by leveraging their inherent catalytic properties, high thermal stability, optimized surface design, and unique hollow fiber geometry, ensuring sustained operation and durability. With the incorporation of a catalyst, the catalytic membrane reactors could maintain high conversion rates exceeding 95% even for a higher feed flow rate at 900 °C. For the operation of 80 h, the membrane reactors gave a very stable performance with a total H₂ formation rate of 94 mL min^–1, while both H₂ and CO selectivity fluctuated up and down within 92–96%. The fabricated Ni membrane exhibited excellent thermal cycling operation performance and possessed high resistance to poisoning agents such as CO, CO₂, and H₂O. These findings provide a solid foundation for the widespread application of Ni-based membranes in cleaner H₂ production via reforming reactions by minimizing the carbon footprint and further contributing to global decarbonization initiatives.