Active Ceramic Membranes
Active Ceramic Membranes Enable High-Value Chemical Conversions
At sufficient temperatures, specialty compositions of ceramic membranes can be engineered to transport ions — allowing them to act as selective ion transport ceramics at a molecular level. Active ceramic membranes can be applied to a growing variety of gas-to-chemicals (GTCh), gas-to-liquids (GTL), and solid oxide electrolysis (SOXE), conversion applications.
CoorsTek is working with leading technology partners - applying ceramic membranes to empower new applications in automotive, energy, chemical, and beyond.
Example Applications
Direct Natural Gas to Chemical Conversion
CoorsTek has developed a new process to use natural gas (methane) as raw material to produce high-value aromatic chemicals. The process uses an advanced ceramic membrane engineered to make the direct, non-oxidative conversion of gas to liquids possible for the first time — reducing cost, eliminating multiple process steps, and avoiding any carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The resulting aromatic precursors are source chemicals for insulation materials, plastics, textiles, and jet fuel, among other valuable products.
The co-ionic ceramic membrane intensifies the methane dehydroaromatization (MDA) process by simultaneously extracting hydrogen (H2) and injecting oxygen species — making MDA technology viable by improving yields, extending catalyst stability, and eliminating CO2 emission.
Direct activation of methane, the main component of biogas and natural gas, has been a key goal of the hydrocarbon research community for decades. This new process is detailed in the August 5, 2016 edition of Science, in a research paper entitled “Direct conversion of methane to aromatics in a catalytic co-ionic membrane reactor”.
Generating Oxygen on Mars
In Solid Oxide Electrolysis (SOXE), for example, oxygen transport membrane (OTM) technologies take advantage of engineered ceramics' ion-conducting properties to create a flow of oxygen ions from an air source at a cathode across the electrolyte membrane to an anode.
When the O2- ions reach the anode, they release electrons as they combine with the fuel (e.g. CO and H2). These electrons then flow in an electrical current, directly creating usable electrical power rather than requiring a heat engine to convert the energy.
The process can also be reversed. NASA's MOXIE project for the 2020 Mission is using active ceramic membrane technology to generate high-purity oxygen (O2) from the abundant, indigenous carbon dioxide (CO2) in Mars' atmosphere.
Converting Natural Gas to Hydrogen for Clean, Efficient Transportation
CoorsTek ceramic membrane technology enables compact hydrogen generators to enable anyone with access to natural gas to easily and inexpensively fuel a hydrogen vehicle at home. This makes it possible for hydrogen-fueled vehicles to run cleaner and cheaper than battery or petroleum fueled automobiles.
Hydrogen is already an important molecule for a range of industrial processes from food processing to the manufacture of semiconductors and glass, with ammonia-based fertilizers as the single largest current application for hydrogen. CoorsTek ceramic membrane technology scales from household to large-scale hydrogen production.
Creating Pressurized Pure Oxygen
CoorsTek has developed a Solid Electrolyte Oxygen System (SEOS) for the generation of 99.999% pure oxygen that can be used to fill oxygen tanks for medical applications, or anywhere high-purity oxygen is required.
SEOS generators produce oxygen that is separated from feed air supplied at ambient temperature and pressure and compressed using a heated, non-porous ceramic membrane that conducts oxygen ions through its crystal lattice. Electricity then provides the driving force to produce oxygen at elevated pressure for the final application.
Additional Resources:
Proton Ceramic Membranes for Hydrogen Production in "Science":
A development team from CoorsTek Membrane Sciences, in collaboration with international research partners, have successfully used ceramic membrane technology to develop a scalable hydrogen generator that makes hydrogen from electricity and fuels with near zero energy loss. Read more >>