Novel hollow fibre membrane reactor for the partial oxidation of methane

In recent years perovskite-type membranes (ABO3) have been studied intensively as oxygen permeable materials. These perovskite ceramics very often have a disc or tube geometry. In this paper the first data of a membrane reactor for POM with hollow fibres as membrane are reported. The hollow fibres were spun from BCFZ (Ba(Co,Fe,Zr)O3−δ) powder. Diluted methane as well as methane with steam were investigated as reaction gases. The spent catalyst was investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) after the reaction. Membrane failures were evaluated by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM).