A review of catalytic hydrogen production using metallic membrane reactors

Abstract

Hydrogen is as an abundant, and environmentally friendly energy carrier, which sparks considerable interest in its production, purification, transport/storage and utilization. Among various hydrogen purification technologies, metallic membranes for hydrogen separation hold enormous potential for obtaining ultra-pure hydrogen, while integrated membrane reactors can help overcome thermodynamic limitations of hydrogen production via catalytic reactions. This review article comprehensively examines state-of-the-art metallic (Pd-based, nickel-based and vanadium-based) membranes for hydrogen separation, covering both preparation techniques and optimization strategies. In addition, membrane reactors coupled with hydrogen separation membrane were introduced, featuring three typical catalytic reactions including water-gas shift, reforming reactions, and dehydrogenation reactions. Moreover, a comparative analysis of the pros and cons of major metallic membranes (Pd, Ni) has been conducted, along with a discussion of existing challenges and future prospects. This review aims to provide a valuable reference for the development and application of metallic membranes and relevant membrane reactors.