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Membranes
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Advanced Membrane Materials for CO2 Capture and Separation
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Advanced Membrane Materials for CO2 Capture and Separation

A special issue of Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375). This special issue belongs to the section "Membrane Applications for Gas Separation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 December 2024 | Viewed by 18795

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Naiying Du

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Energy, Mining, and Environment Research Center, National Research Council, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
Interests: CO2 capture and storage; functional polymers; polymer composite; green polymer; gas separation membrane
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Haiqing Lin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
Interests: novel membrane materials for CO2 capture from flue gas and syngas; antifouling membranes for water purification; understanding of polymer struc-ture/property correlations in thin films
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We invite you to submit your research work or review article to this Special Issue of “Membrane Materials for CO2 Capture and Separation.” Climate change caused by anthropogenic CO2 emissions is a global challenge that we are all facing. The combustion of fossil fuels produces large amounts of CO2 in the flue gas that is released into the atmosphere. To mitigate the CO2 emissions, CO2 must be captured for utilization or sequestration. Membrane-based separation offers an effective approach for CO2 capture (carbon capture), due to its high energy efficiency, small footprint, and simplicity of operation and maintenance. However, advanced membrane material designs are needed to achieve superior CO2 separation performance and reduce the cost of carbon capture.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to publish recent advances in novel or emerging materials for membrane-based carbon capture. The topics of interests include, but are not limited to, novel membrane materials (polymers, metal–organic frameworks, 2D materials, and mixed matrix materials) for various capture schemes (such as post-combustion capture, pre-combustion capture, carbon capture from industrial sources, direct air capture, etc.), techno-economic analysis, preparation and characterization of thin-film composite membranes or hollow fiber membranes, etc.

We are looking forward to receiving your outstanding work for this Special Issue.

Sincerely,
Dr. Naiying Du
Prof. Dr. Haiqing Lin
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Membranes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • membranes
  • carbon capture
  • polymers
  • metal-organic frameworks
  • 2D materials
  • mixed matrix materials
  • techno-economic analysis

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 6000 KiB  
Article
Syngas Production via Oxidative Reforming of Propane Using a CO2- and O2-Permeating Membrane
by José A. Fabián-Anguiano, Lorena G. Cuéllar-Herrera, José A. Romero-Serrano, Issis C. Romero-Ibarra, Antonieta García-Murillo, Felipe Carrillo-Romo and José Ortiz-Landeros
Membranes 2024, 14(11), 238; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes14110238 - 12 Nov 2024
Viewed by 602
Abstract
Recently, ceramic–carbonate membrane reactors have been proposed to selectively separate CO2 at elevated temperatures and to valorize this pollutant gas by coupling a catalyzed reaction. This work explores using a membrane reactor to perform the oxidative reforming of propane by taking advantage [...] Read more.
Recently, ceramic–carbonate membrane reactors have been proposed to selectively separate CO2 at elevated temperatures and to valorize this pollutant gas by coupling a catalyzed reaction. This work explores using a membrane reactor to perform the oxidative reforming of propane by taking advantage of the CO2- and O2-permeating properties of a LiAlO2/Ag–carbonate membrane. The fabricated membrane showed excellent permeation properties, such as CO2/N2 and O2/N2 selectivity, when operating in the 725–850 °C temperature range. The membrane exhibited remarkable stability during the long-term permeation test under operating conditions, exhibiting minor microstructural and permeation changes. Then, by packing a Ni/CeO2 catalyst, the membrane reactor arrangement showed efficient syngas production, especially at temperatures above 800 °C. A hydrogen-rich syngas mixture was obtained by the contributions of the oxidative reforming and cracking reactions. Specific issues observed regarding the membrane reactor’s performance are attributed to the catalyst that was used, which experienced significant poisoning by carbon deposition during the reaction, affecting syngas production during the long-term test. Thermodynamic calculations were performed to support the experimental results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Membrane Materials for CO2 Capture and Separation)
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16 pages, 5680 KiB  
Article
Mixed-Matrix Organo-Silica–Hydrotalcite Membrane for CO2 Separation Part 1: Synthesis and Analytical Description
by Lucas Bünger, Krassimir Garbev, Angela Ullrich, Peter Stemmermann and Dieter Stapf
Membranes 2024, 14(8), 170; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes14080170 - 6 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1386
Abstract
Hydrotalcite exhibits the capability to adsorb CO2 at elevated temperatures. High surface area and favorable coating properties are essential to harness its potential for practical applications. Stable alcohol-based dispersions are needed for thin film applications of mixed membranes containing hydrotalcite. Currently, producing [...] Read more.
Hydrotalcite exhibits the capability to adsorb CO2 at elevated temperatures. High surface area and favorable coating properties are essential to harness its potential for practical applications. Stable alcohol-based dispersions are needed for thin film applications of mixed membranes containing hydrotalcite. Currently, producing such dispersions without the need for delamination and dispersing agents is a challenging task. This work introduces, for the first time, a manufacturing approach to overcoming the drawbacks mentioned above. It includes a synthesis of hydrotalcite nanoparticles, followed by agent-free delamination of their layers and final dispersion into alcohol without dispersing agents. Further, the hydrotalcite-derived sorption agent is dispersed in a matrix based on organo-silica gels derived from 1,2-bis(triethoxysilyl)ethane (BTESE). The analytical results indicate that the interconnection between hydrotalcite and BTESE-derived gel occurs via forming a strong hydrogen bonding system between the interlayer species (OH groups, CO32−) of hydrotalcite and oxygen and silanol active gel centers. These findings lay the foundation for applications involving incorporating hydrotalcite-like compounds into silica matrices, ultimately enabling the development of materials with exceptional mass transfer properties. In part 2 of this study, the gas separation performance of the organo-silica and the hydrotalcite-like materials and their combined form will be investigated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Membrane Materials for CO2 Capture and Separation)
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16 pages, 3787 KiB  
Article
Mixed-Matrix Organo–Silica–Hydrotalcite Membrane for CO2 Separation Part 2: Permeation and Selectivity Study
by Lucas Bünger, Tim Kurtz, Krassimir Garbev, Peter Stemmermann and Dieter Stapf
Membranes 2024, 14(7), 156; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes14070156 - 12 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1168
Abstract
This study introduces an innovative approach to designing membranes capable of separating CO2 from industrial gas streams at higher temperatures. The novel membrane design seeks to leverage a well-researched, high-temperature CO2 adsorbent, hydrotalcite, by transforming it into a membrane. This was [...] Read more.
This study introduces an innovative approach to designing membranes capable of separating CO2 from industrial gas streams at higher temperatures. The novel membrane design seeks to leverage a well-researched, high-temperature CO2 adsorbent, hydrotalcite, by transforming it into a membrane. This was achieved by combining it with an amorphous organo-silica-based matrix, extending the polymer-based mixed-matrix membrane concept to inorganic compounds. Following the membrane material preparation and investigation of the individual membrane in Part 1 of this study, we examine its permeation and selectivity here. The pure 200 nm thick hydrotalcite membrane exhibits Knudsen behavior due to large intercrystalline pores. In contrast, the organo-silica membrane demonstrates an ideal selectivity of 13.5 and permeance for CO2 of 1.3 × 10−7 mol m−2 s−1 Pa−1 at 25 °C, and at 150 °C, the selectivity is reduced to 4.3. Combining both components results in a hybrid microstructure, featuring selective surface diffusion in the microporous regions and unselective Knudsen diffusion in the mesoporous regions. Further attempts to bridge both components to form a purely microporous microstructure are outlined. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Membrane Materials for CO2 Capture and Separation)
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16 pages, 3321 KiB  
Article
Cationic Imidazolium-Urethane-Based Poly(Ionic Liquids) Membranes for Enhanced CO2/CH4 Separation: Synthesis, Characterization, and Performance Evaluation
by Guilherme Dias, Laura Rocca, Henrique Z. Ferrari, Franciele L. Bernard, Fernando G. Brandão, Leonardo Pereira and Sandra Einloft
Membranes 2024, 14(7), 151; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes14070151 - 9 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1543
Abstract
The escalating emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere require the urgent development of technologies aimed at mitigating environmental impacts. Among these, aqueous amine solutions and polymeric membranes, such as cellulose acetate and polyimide are commercial technologies requiring improvement or substitution to enhance [...] Read more.
The escalating emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere require the urgent development of technologies aimed at mitigating environmental impacts. Among these, aqueous amine solutions and polymeric membranes, such as cellulose acetate and polyimide are commercial technologies requiring improvement or substitution to enhance the economic and energetic efficiency of CO2 separation processes. Ionic liquids and poly(ionic liquids) (PILs) are candidates to replace conventional CO2 separation technologies. PILs are a class of materials capable of combining the favorable gas affinity exhibited by ionic liquids (ILs) with the processability inherent in polymeric materials. In this context, the synthesis of the IL GLYMIM[Cl] was performed, followed by ion exchange processes to achieve GLYMIM variants with diverse counter anions (NTf2−, PF6−, and BF4). Subsequently, PIL membranes were fabricated from these tailored ILs and subjected to characterization, employing techniques such as SEC, FTIR, DSC, TGA, DMA, FEG-SEM, and CO2 sorption analysis using the pressure decay method. Furthermore, permeability and ideal selectivity assessments of CO2/CH4 mixture were performed to derive the diffusion and solubility coefficients for both CO2 and CH4. PIL membranes exhibited adequate thermal and mechanical properties. The PIL-BF4 demonstrated CO2 sorption capacities of 33.5 mg CO2/g at 1 bar and 104.8 mg CO2/g at 10 bar. Furthermore, the PIL-BF4 membrane exhibited permeability and ideal (CO2/CH4) selectivity values of 41 barrer and 44, respectively, surpassing those of a commercial cellulose acetate membrane as reported in the existing literature. This study underscores the potential of PIL-based membranes as promising candidates for enhanced CO2 capture technologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Membrane Materials for CO2 Capture and Separation)
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20 pages, 19063 KiB  
Article
3D-CFD Modeling of Hollow-Fiber Membrane Contactor for CO2 Absorption Using MEA Solution
by Alexandru-Constantin Bozonc, Vlad-Cristian Sandu, Calin-Cristian Cormos and Ana-Maria Cormos
Membranes 2024, 14(4), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes14040086 - 9 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1722
Abstract
Membrane technology is considered an innovative and promising approach due to its flexibility and low energy consumption. In this work, a comprehensive 3D-CFD model of the Hollow-Fiber Membrane Contactor (HFMC) system for CO2 capture into aqueous MEA solution, considering a counter-current fluid [...] Read more.
Membrane technology is considered an innovative and promising approach due to its flexibility and low energy consumption. In this work, a comprehensive 3D-CFD model of the Hollow-Fiber Membrane Contactor (HFMC) system for CO2 capture into aqueous MEA solution, considering a counter-current fluid flow, was developed and validated with experimental data. Two different flow arrangements were considered for the gas mixture and liquid solution inside the HFMC module. The simulation results showed that the CO2 absorption efficiency was considerably higher when the gas mixture was channeled through the membranes and the liquid phase flowed externally between the membranes, across a wide range of gas and liquid flow rates. Sensitivity studies were performed in order to determine the optimal CO2 capture process parameters under different operating conditions (flow rates/flow velocities and concentrations) and HFMC geometrical characteristics (e.g., porosity, diameter, and thickness of membranes). It was found that increasing the membrane radius, while maintaining a constant thickness, positively influenced the efficiency of CO2 absorption due to the higher mass transfer area and residence time. Conversely, higher membrane thickness resulted in higher mass transfer resistance. The optimal membrane thickness was also investigated for various inner fiber diameters, resulting in a thickness of 0.2 mm as optimal for a fiber inner radius of 0.225 mm. Additionally, a significant improvement in CO2 capture efficiency was observed when increasing membrane porosity to values below 0.2, at which point the increase dampened considerably. The best HFMC configuration involved a combination of low porosity, moderate thickness, and large fiber inner diameter, with gas flow occurring within the fiber membranes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Membrane Materials for CO2 Capture and Separation)
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22 pages, 2096 KiB  
Article
Permeance of Condensable Gases in Rubbery Polymer Membranes at High Pressure
by Karina Schuldt, Jelena Lillepärg, Jan Pohlmann, Torsten Brinkmann and Sergey Shishatskiy
Membranes 2024, 14(3), 66; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes14030066 - 6 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1788
Abstract
The gas transport properties of thin film composite membranes (TFCMs) with selective layers of PolyActive™, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and polyoctylmethylsiloxane (POMS) were investigated over a range of temperatures (10–34 °C; temperature increments of 2 °C) and pressures (1–65 bar abs; 38 pressure increments). The [...] Read more.
The gas transport properties of thin film composite membranes (TFCMs) with selective layers of PolyActive™, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and polyoctylmethylsiloxane (POMS) were investigated over a range of temperatures (10–34 °C; temperature increments of 2 °C) and pressures (1–65 bar abs; 38 pressure increments). The variation in the feed pressure of condensable gases CO2 and C2H6 enabled the observation of peaks of permeance in dependence on the feed pressure and temperature. For PDMS and POMS, the permeance peak was reproduced at the same feed gas activity as when the feed temperature was changed. PolyActive™ TFCM showed a more complex behaviour, most probably due to a higher CO2 affinity towards the poly(ethylene glycol) domains of this block copolymer. A significant decrease in the permeate temperature associated with the Joule–Thomson effect was observed for all TFCMs. The stepwise permeance drop was observed at a feed gas activity of p/po ≥ 1, clearly indicating that a penetrant transfer through the selective layer occurs only according to the conditions on the feed side of the membrane. The permeate side gas temperature has no influence on the state of the selective layer or penetrant diffusing through it. The most likely cause of the observed TFCM behaviour is capillary condensation of the penetrant in the swollen selective layer material, which can be provoked by the clustering of penetrant molecules. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Membrane Materials for CO2 Capture and Separation)
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Review

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25 pages, 3235 KiB  
Review
Membrane Separation Technology in Direct Air Capture
by Pavlo Ignatusha, Haiqing Lin, Noe Kapuscinsky, Ludmila Scoles, Weiguo Ma, Bussaraporn Patarachao and Naiying Du
Membranes 2024, 14(2), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes14020030 - 24 Jan 2024
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5172
Abstract
Direct air capture (DAC) is an emerging negative CO2 emission technology that aims to introduce a feasible method for CO2 capture from the atmosphere. Unlike carbon capture from point sources, which deals with flue gas at high CO2 concentrations, carbon [...] Read more.
Direct air capture (DAC) is an emerging negative CO2 emission technology that aims to introduce a feasible method for CO2 capture from the atmosphere. Unlike carbon capture from point sources, which deals with flue gas at high CO2 concentrations, carbon capture directly from the atmosphere has proved difficult due to the low CO2 concentration in ambient air. Current DAC technologies mainly consider sorbent-based systems; however, membrane technology can be considered a promising DAC approach since it provides several advantages, e.g., lower energy and operational costs, less environmental footprint, and more potential for small-scale ubiquitous installations. Several recent advancements in validating the feasibility of highly permeable gas separation membrane fabrication and system design show that membrane-based direct air capture (m-DAC) could be a complementary approach to sorbent-based DAC, e.g., as part of a hybrid system design that incorporates other DAC technologies (e.g., solvent or sorbent-based DAC). In this article, the ongoing research and DAC application attempts via membrane separation have been reviewed. The reported membrane materials that could potentially be used for m-DAC are summarized. In addition, the future direction of m-DAC development is discussed, which could provide perspective and encourage new researchers’ further work in the field of m-DAC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Membrane Materials for CO2 Capture and Separation)
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32 pages, 2420 KiB  
Review
Biocatalytic Membranes for Carbon Capture and Utilization
by Jialong Shen and Sonja Salmon
Membranes 2023, 13(4), 367; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13040367 - 23 Mar 2023
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4032
Abstract
Innovative carbon capture technologies that capture CO2 from large point sources and directly from air are urgently needed to combat the climate crisis. Likewise, corresponding technologies are needed to convert this captured CO2 into valuable chemical feedstocks and products that replace [...] Read more.
Innovative carbon capture technologies that capture CO2 from large point sources and directly from air are urgently needed to combat the climate crisis. Likewise, corresponding technologies are needed to convert this captured CO2 into valuable chemical feedstocks and products that replace current fossil-based materials to close the loop in creating viable pathways for a renewable economy. Biocatalytic membranes that combine high reaction rates and enzyme selectivity with modularity, scalability, and membrane compactness show promise for both CO2 capture and utilization. This review presents a systematic examination of technologies under development for CO2 capture and utilization that employ both enzymes and membranes. CO2 capture membranes are categorized by their mode of action as CO2 separation membranes, including mixed matrix membranes (MMM) and liquid membranes (LM), or as CO2 gas–liquid membrane contactors (GLMC). Because they selectively catalyze molecular reactions involving CO2, the two main classes of enzymes used for enhancing membrane function are carbonic anhydrase (CA) and formate dehydrogenase (FDH). Small organic molecules designed to mimic CA enzyme active sites are also being developed. CO2 conversion membranes are described according to membrane functionality, the location of enzymes relative to the membrane, which includes different immobilization strategies, and regeneration methods for cofactors. Parameters crucial for the performance of these hybrid systems are discussed with tabulated examples. Progress and challenges are discussed, and perspectives on future research directions are provided. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Membrane Materials for CO2 Capture and Separation)
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