The Need
Hydrogen production from coal-derived syngas is a promising route for cleaner energy, but current CO₂/H₂ separation technologies struggle with efficiency, selectivity, and stability at high pressures. Existing membranes often suffer from reduced CO₂ permeance and compaction under industrial conditions, limiting their effectiveness for large-scale hydrogen purification and carbon capture in integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plants.

The Technology
OSU engineers have developed a patented technology that features three novel amine-containing polymeric membranes designed for single-stage, high-pressure CO₂/H₂ separation from coal-derived syngas. Utilizing crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinylamine matrices, with specialized mobile carriers and nanoporous graphene oxide reinforcement, these membranes achieve exceptional CO₂ selectivity and permeance. The process design strategically deploys different membranes along the flow path to maximize CO₂ removal and H₂ recovery, enabling >99% H₂ recovery and 90% CO₂ capture in a single stage.

Commercial Applications
• Hydrogen purification for IGCC and other syngas-based power plants
• Pre-combustion carbon capture in fossil fuel power generation
• Industrial hydrogen production and purification
• CO₂ capture for enhanced oil recovery or sequestration
• Gas separation in chemical and petrochemical industries

Benefits/Advantages
• High CO₂/H₂ selectivity (>100) and permeance at industrial pressures
• Robust performance with minimal membrane compaction due to graphene oxide reinforcement
• Enables single-stage process with >99% H₂ recovery and 90% CO₂ removal
• Reduced energy consumption and membrane area compared to conventional systems
• Flexible membrane design allows optimization for varying process conditions