Advances in membrane-assisted reactors: An integrative review for modeling and experiments
Md Abdullah Al Masud, Nhan H. Khuu, Oishi Sanyal, Yuhe Tian
Abstract
This article reviews recent advances in membrane reactors (MRs), highlighting state-of-the-art experimental and modeling approaches. We first present an overview of the novel membrane materials such as metal (e.g. Palladium) membranes, Silica-based membranes, crystalline materials such as zeolites metal organic frameworks (MOFs), and amorphous materials such as carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membranes, which form the key focus of experimental developments. Major MRs modeling strategies are then introduced including spatially distributed modeling, machine learning-aided modeling, etc. Representative applications of MRs are discussed with detailed examination of recent experimental and modeling investigations, i.e. alkane dehydrogenation , methane steam reforming, water gas shift , NH 3 decomposition, and CO 2 to CH 3 OH conversion. Recent developments have demonstrated the advantages of membrane-assisted reaction in terms of enhanced reaction control and product selectivity, while emphasizing the importance of membrane stability, scalability, and material selection. The review concludes with future directions, highlighting the need for: (i) fundamental understanding of the catalyst and the membrane under reaction conditions, (ii) multi-scale modeling enabled by machine learning to account for the interactions of membrane materials, reactor design, and process systems integration, (iii) systems-level process synthesis with sustainability considerations, and (iv) closer collaboration between modeling and experimental studies.