ИСТИНА

Synthesis gas is used as raw material for some important chemistry processes such as Fischer-Tropsch process, methanol synthesis, oxo synthesis. Each process needs a certain composition of synthesis gas, namely CO:H2 ratio. There are several main sources of synthesis gas production: steam reforming, coal gasification, biomass gasification. The CO:H2 ratio can vary from 1:1 to 1:3 and depends on applied method of synthesis gas production, moreover obtained gas always contain other components. For example, coal gasification by Lurgi process gives the following gas composition: 15-18% of CO, 38-40% of H2, 9-11% of CH4 and 30-32% of CO2. Therefore obtained synthesis gas demands further purification and probably adjustment of CO:H2 ratio. Purification can be carried out using absorption (amine scrubbing for removal of CO2), pressure swing adsorption, cryogenic technique and membrane separation. Usually a combination of these purification methods is applied. Membrane separation is considered as technique with low energy consumption and good “flexibility”. The adjustment of CO:H2 ratio can be performed by membranes very easy compared to traditional carbon monoxide steam conversion. Problems of utilization of membrane gas separation technique for purification of synthesis gas obtained from different sources as well as adjustment of CO:H2 ratio are considered in this work. A modeling of synthesis gas membrane separation process is carried out as with commercially available membranes application as with some new laboratory membranes prepared in Membrane Research Center at TIPS RAS. Benefits and limitations of such process are discussed.