Equilibrium shift in membrane reactors: A thermodynamic analysis of the dehydrogenative conversion of alkanes

The shift in equilibrium conversion for dehydrogenation and dehydroalkylation reactions as a result of selective extraction of hydrogen in a membrane reactor has been evaluated by a simple model based on thermodynamics taking into account chemical reaction equilibrium and hydrogen equilibrium across a 100% hydrogen-selective membrane. There is a limit to which the equilibrium can be shifted in a membrane reactor, depending on the thermodynamics of given reactions. The effects of temperature, pressure and sweep gas flow rate on equilibrium conversion and selectivity in a membrane reactor have been demonstrated.