Long-Term Stable H2 Production from Methylcyclohexane Using a Membrane Reactor with a Dimethoxydiphenylsilane-Derived Silica Membrane Prepared via Chemical Vapor Deposition

• Published in: Industrial & engineering chemistry research 2015-04
• Main Authors: Akamatsu, Kazuki, Tago, Toshiki, Seshimo, Masahiro, Nakao, Shin-ichi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0888-5885; 1520-5045
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.5b00527

Continuous and stable operation of a membrane reactor for 1054 h to dehydrogenate methylcyclohexane for the purpose of producing high-purity H2, using a dimethoxydiphenylsilane (DMDPS)-derived silica membrane, is successfully demonstrated. The silica membrane used was prepared via a chemical vapor deposition method, using DMDPS as a precursor, and Pt/Al2O3 catalysts were employed and loaded inside the tubular membrane. During the 1054 h of continuous operation, an equilibrium shift was stably demonstrated, because of the stable extraction of the produced H2 from the reaction side to the permeate side, and, accordingly, the purity of H2 in the permeate gas was stably high. Although the DMDPS-derived membrane showed a slight decrease in performance after 1054 h of operation, followed by regeneration under an H2 atmosphere, this first successful demonstration of the long-term stable operation of a membrane reactor using silica membranes is of significance to its practical and industrial use.