Clarkson University
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Seminar
Synthesis and characterization of ZnCl2 immobilized molten salt (IMS) membrane for NH3 separation
Moses Adejum
Abstract
Ammonia (NH3) production is widely acknowledged for its role in fertilizer manufacturing and emerging use as a hydrogen carrier. The conventional Haber Bosch (H-B) process for NH3 production generates 1.5 – 1.6 𝑡𝐶𝑂2−𝑒𝑞/t𝑁𝐻3. Switching from traditional NH3 separation methods to energy-efficient alternatives like membrane separation can help mitigate CO2 emissions. In this study, a ZnCl2 immobilized molten salt (IMS) membrane is synthesized in situ and evaluated for the potential separation of NH3 from a gas mixture containing N2 and H2. The membrane was prepared via the direct deposition technique using woven wire mesh of 1 μm nominal pore size. Several permeation tests were performed to evaluate its permeation characteristics at 300 °C and different pressures, such as 1 – 4.5 bar. For single gas permeation, NH3 permeance was found to be as high as 211 GPU, with NH3/N2 and NH3/H2 ideal selectivities of >107 and >107, respectively. For binary mixtures, NH3 permeance was as high as ~6700 GPU at ~3 kPa. A model was also developed, which reasonably predicts the facilitated transport of NH3 through the membrane. The mean absolute percentage error between the model and experimental data is 3.9 – 4.2%. Kinetic and thermodynamic parameters associated with NH3 coordination with Zn2+ were determined from the model. The membrane was stable for at least 640 h under different feed mixtures with no significant performance loss. This membrane demonstrates suitability for gas separation in processes featuring low NH3 partial pressures, besides its potential application in the H-B process.
Wednesday, 02/28/2024 at 2:30 pm
CAMP 194
Bio:
Moses is a Ph.D. candidate at Clarkson University’s Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department. He earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, in 2017. His current research centers on the synthesis and characterization of ZnCl2 immobilized molten salt (IMS) membranes, with a specific objective of enhancing small-scale NH3 production processes.