Petchem firms join for syngas membrane work
15 Jan 2000
A group of petrochemical majors have embarked on an effort to commercialise membrane technology for the production of synthesis gas (syngas), the mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen that has many uses within the petrochemical industry. Amoco, BP Chemicals, Sasol and Statoil, along with industrial gases giant Praxair, have joined forces to push the process, which is to be used to produce fuels.
The process uses ceramic membranes to combine two parts of the syngas production process. Syngas is usually made by the partial oxidation of methane, so there are two steps: the separation of oxygen from the air, and the partial oxidation. The ceramic membrane combines these into a single unit, obviating the need for a separate oxygen plant and slashing capital costs.
The work is currently only at laboratory scale, with Amoco working with the Argonne National Laboratory in the US to develop the process itself, while BP Chemicals and Praxair collaborating on designing the membrane itself. Once commercialised, the companies plan to use syngas to make low-sulphur synthetic fuels.
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