Interfacial reactions in ceramic membrane reactors for syngas production

Abstract

Ceramic membrane reactors based on Mixed Ionic and Electronic Conductors (MIEC) show great promise for the production of syngas from natural gas. Here, the principles behind this technology are briefly reviewed. By comparing these reactors to solid oxide fuel cells, for which the operating principles are nearly identical, we argue that surface reactions on the membrane frequently limit the performance of these devices. Concepts for increasing surface reaction rates and incorporating catalysts onto the surface are discussed.