H2 production from simulated coal syngas containing H2S in multi-tubular Pd and 80 wt% Pd–20 wt% Cu membrane reactors at 1173 K

99.7% conversion of CO in a simulated syngas feed containing 53% CO, 35% H2 and 12% CO2 was achieved via the water–gas shift (WGS) reaction in a counter-current Pd multi-tube membrane reactor (MR) at 1173 K and 2 s residence time. This conversion is significantly greater than the 32% equilibrium conversion associated with a conventional (non-membrane) reactor primarily due to the high rate of H2 extraction from the reaction zone through the Pd membranes at elevated temperatures. Furthermore, nearly complete H2 recovery was attained in the permeate, resulting in the simultaneous production of a high-pressure CO2 (>99%) retentate stream after condensation of the steam. When Pd80 wt%Cu tubes were used in the reactor, a significantly lower CO conversion of 68% was attained at comparable residence times, probably due to the lower H2 permeance of the alloy. When H2S was added to the syngas feed and the H2S-to-H2 ratio was maintained below the threshold required for thermodynamically stable sulfides to form, the Pd and Pd80 wt%Cu MRs retained their mechanical integrity and H2 selectivity, but a precipitous drop in CO conversion was observed due to deactivation of the catalytic surface. The Pd and Pd80 wt%Cu MRs were observed to fail within minutes after increasing the H2S-to-H2 ratio to levels above that expected for thermodynamically stable sulfides to form, as evidenced by rupturing of the membrane tubes. SEM–EDS analyses of the membranes suggested that at high H2S-to-H2 ratios, the H2S compromised the mechanical integrity of the MRs by preferentially attacking the grain boundary region.