2018 Fiscal Year Annual Research Report
Molecular engineering of advanced silicate membranes with controlled pore sizes for feeding oxygen to a catalytic reactor
Project/Area Number |
17F17772
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Research Institution | The University of Tokyo |
Principal Investigator |
大山 茂生 東京大学, 大学院工学系研究科(工学部), 教授 (50572939)
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Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
LUNDIN SEAN-THOMAS 東京大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 外国人特別研究員
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Project Period (FY) |
2017-10-13 – 2020-03-31
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Keywords | CH4 partial oxidation / methanol formation / dimethyl ether formation / formaldehyde formation / silica membrane / chemical vapor deposition |
Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
This project focuses on the development and implementation of catalytic membrane technology for the selective oxidation of methane. Significant progress was made in the recent year on all aspects of the project. Membrane development has progressed using several types of organometallic precursors to form tightly controlled pore structures using chemical vapor deposition. These membranes are capable of selectively separating oxygen and methane while maintaining a high oxygen permeance into the catalyst bed. Additionally, several catalysts have been developed using a wide range of metals and supports capable of oxidizing methane to methanol, formaldehyde and dimethyl ether with significant selectivity over CO2.
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Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
Significant progress was made during the project on all aspects. Membrane development has progressed using several types of organometallic precursors to form tightly controlled pore structures using the chemical vapor deposition technique. These membranes are capable of selectively separating oxygen and methane while maintaining a high oxygen permeance into the catalyst bed. Notably, this is the first major study conducted on the oxygen permeability of these membrane materials. Previous research has focused heavily on hydrogen separations and some hydrocarbon separations, but almost no data existed previously on the oxygen permeation through silica membranes. Thus, this study has explored and defined a new type of separation using silica-based membrane materials.
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Strategy for Future Research Activity |
The silica-based membranes and catalysts for methane oxidation will be combined and implemented into the catalytic membrane reactor system. Using the membrane to supply the oxidant separately from the methane feed will show good promise and partial oxygenate products will be produced in quantities higher than that found in various literature sources. The catalytic membrane reactor nearly doubles productivity of formaldehyde in the case of a platinum catalyst. Using a tantalum- and silica-based membrane combined with a platinum on yttria catalyst, we can successfully demonstrate the potential benefits of a catalytic membrane configuration.
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