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The University at Buffalo has teamed with Membrane Technology and Research, Inc., Helios-NRG, LLC, and the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC) to develop a membrane-based process to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from coal-derived syngas with less than 10 percent increase in the levelized cost of electricity. The key advancement of this technology is a series of novel sorption enhanced mixed matrix membranes with high hydrogen (H2) permeance (500 GPU) and high H2/CO2 selectivity (30) at temperatures up to 200°C. The approach combines highly cross-linked polymers with strong size sieving ability and palladium-based nanomaterials with high H2/CO2 selectivity to achieve membranes with performance superior to stand-alone polymeric membranes. The project team will fabricate and optimize thin film composite membranes, perform parametric testing using simulated syngas in the laboratory, and conduct field testing of the membrane stamps at the NCCC with actual syngas. A process design and a techno-economic analysis will be completed based on the newly developed membranes. This analysis will clarify the potential of membrane technology for CO2 capture from coal-derived syngas, providing the criteria of membrane performance that must be met to achieve the DOE program goals.
A successful outcome of increasing membrane permeance and selectivity will make direct progress towards a membrane-based process to capture 90% of CO2 from coal-derived syngas with less than 10% increase in the levelized cost of electricity. This project may lead to a new generation of membrane materials that combine robust performance with good processability to significantly decrease the cost of CO2 capture, utilization, and sequestration, enabling environmentally-responsible energy production from abundant domestic coal.