Membrane reactors are increasingly replacing conventional separation, process and conversion technologies across a wide range of applications. Exploiting advanced membrane materials, they offer enhanced efficiency, are very adaptable and have great economic potential. There has therefore been increasing interest in membrane reactors from both the scientific and industrial communities, stimulating research and development. The two volumes of the Handbook of membrane reactors draw on this research to provide an authoritative review of this important field.Volume 1 explores fundamental materials science, design and optimisation, beginning with a review of polymeric, dense metallic and composite membranes for membrane reactors in part one. Polymeric and nanocomposite membranes for membrane reactors, inorganic membrane reactors for hydrogen production, palladium-based composite membranes and alternatives to palladium-based membranes for hydrogen separation in membrane reactors are all discussed. Part two goes on to investigate zeolite, ceramic and carbon membranes and catalysts for membrane reactors in more depth. Finally, part three explores membrane reactor modelling, simulation and optimisation, including the use of mathematical modelling, computational fluid dynamics, artificial neural networks and non-equilibrium thermodynamics to analyse varied aspects of membrane reactor design and production enhancement.With its distinguished editor and international team of expert contributors, the two volumes of the Handbook of membrane reactors provide an authoritative guide for membrane reactor researchers and materials scientists, chemical and biochemical manufacturers, industrial separations and process engineers, and academics in this field.

Table of Contents:
Contributor contact details Woodhead Publishing Series in Energy Foreword Preface Part I: Polymeric, dense metallic and composite membranes for membrane reactors Chapter 1: Polymeric membranes for membrane reactors Abstract: 1.1 Introduction: polymer properties for membrane reactors 1.2 Basics of polymer membranes 1.3 Membrane reactors 1.4 Modelling of polymeric catalytic membrane reactors 1.5 Conclusions 1.7 Appendix: nomenclature Chapter 2: Inorganic membrane reactors for hydrogen production: an overview with particular emphasis on dense metallic membrane materials Abstract: 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Development of inorganic membrane reactors (MRs) 2.3 Types of membranes 2.4 Preparation of dense metallic membranes 2.5 Preparation of Pd-composite membranes 2.6 Preparation of Pd–Ag alloy membranes 2.7 Preparation of Pd–Cu alloy composite membranes 2.8 Preparation of Pd–Au membranes 2.9 Preparation of amorphous alloy membranes 2.10 Degradation of dense metallic membranes 2.11 Conclusions and future trends 2.12 Acknowledgements 2.14 Appendix: nomenclature Chapter 3: Palladium-based composite membranes for hydrogen separation in membrane reactors Abstract: 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Development of composite membranes 3.3 Palladium and palladium-alloy composite membranes for hydrogen separation 3.4 Performances in membrane reactors 3.5 Conclusions and future trends 3.6 Acknowledgements 3.8 Appendix: nomenclature Chapter 4: Alternatives to palladium in membranes for hydrogen separation: nickel, niobium and vanadium alloys, ceramic supports for metal alloys and porous glass membranes Abstract: 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Materials 4.3 Membrane synthesis and characterization 4.4 Applications 4.5 Conclusions 4.7 Appendix: nomenclature Chapter 5: Nanocomposite membranes for membrane reactors Abstract: 5.1 Introduction 5.2 An overview of fabrication techniques 5.3 Examples of organic/inorganic nanocomposite membranes 5.4 Structure-property relationships in nanostructured composite membranes 5.5 Major application of hybrid nanocomposites in membrane reactors 5.6 Conclusions and future trends 5.8 Appendix: nomenclature Part II: Zeolite, ceramic and carbon membranes and catalysts for membrane reactors Chapter 6: Zeolite membrane reactors Abstract: 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Separation using zeolite membranes 6.3 Zeolite membrane reactors 6.4 Modeling of zeolite membrane reactors 6.5 Scale-up and scale-down of zeolite membranes 6.6 Conclusion and future trends 6.8 Appendix: nomenclature Chapter 7: Dense ceramic membranes for membrane reactors Abstract: 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Principles of dense ceramic membrane reactors 7.3 Membrane preparation and catalyst incorporation 7.4 Fabrication of membrane reactors 7.5 Conclusion and future trends 7.6 Acknowledgements 7.8 Appendices Chapter 8: Porous ceramic membranes for membrane reactors Abstract: 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Preparation of porous ceramic membranes 8.3 Characterisation of ceramic membranes 8.4 Transport and separation of gases in ceramic membranes 8.5 Ceramic membrane reactors 8.6 Conclusions and future trends 8.7 Acknowledgements 8.9 Appendix: nomenclature Chapter 9: Microporous silica membranes: fundamentals and applications in membrane reactors for hydrogen separation Abstract: 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Microporous silica membranes 9.3 Membrane reactor function and arrangement 9.4 Membrane reactor performance metrics and design parameters 9.5 Catalytic reactions in a membrane reactor configuration 9.6 Industrial considerations 9.7 Future trends and conclusions 9.8 Acknowledgements 9.10 Appendix: nomenclature Chapter 10: Carbon-based membranes for membrane reactors Abstract: 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Unsupported carbon membranes 10.3 Supported carbon membranes 10.4 Carbon membrane reactors (CMRs) 10.5 Micro carbon-based membrane reactors 10.6 Conclusions and future trends 10.7 Acknowledgements 10.9 Appendix: nomenclature Chapter 11: Advances in catalysts for membrane reactors Abstract: 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Requirements of catalysts for membrane reactors 11.3 Catalyst design, preparation and formulation 11.4 Case studies in membrane reactors 11.5 Deactivation of catalysts 11.6 The role of catalysts in supporting sustainability 11.7 Conclusions and future trends 11.9 Appendix: nomenclature Part III: Membrane reactor modelling, simulation and optimisation Chapter 12: Mathematical modelling of membrane reactors: overview of strategies and applications for the modelling of a hydrogen-selective membrane reactor Abstract: 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Membrane reactor concept and modelling 12.3 A hydrogen-selective membrane reactor application: natural gas steam reforming 12.4 Conclusions 12.5 Acknowledgements 12.7 Appendix: nomenclature Chapter 13: Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of membrane reactors: simulation of single-and multi-tube palladium membrane reactors for hydrogen recovery from cyclohexane Abstract: 13.1 Introduction 13.2 Single palladium membrane tube reactor 13.4 Conclusions and future trends 13.6 Appendix: nomenclature Chapter 14: Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of membrane reactors: simulation of a palladium-based membrane reactor in fuel cell micro-cogenerator system Abstract: 14.1 Introduction 14.2 Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) micro-cogenerator systems and MREF 14.3 Model description and assumptions 14.4 Simulation results and discussion of modelling issues 14.5 Conclusion and future trends 14.6 Acknowledgements 14.8 Appendix: nomenclature Chapter 15: Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of membrane reactors: modelling of membrane bioreactors for municipal wastewater treatment Abstract: 15.1 Introduction 15.2 Design of the membrane bioreactor (MBR) 15.3 Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) 15.4 CFD modelling for MBR applications 15.5 Model calibration and validation techniques 15.6 Future trends and conclusions 15.7 Acknowledgement 15.9 Appendix: nomenclature Chapter 16: Models of membrane reactors based on artificial neural networks and hybrid approaches Abstract: 16.1 Introduction 16.2 Fundamentals of artificial neural networks 16.3 An overview of hybrid modeling 16.4 Case study: prediction of permeate flux decay during ultrafiltration performed in pulsating conditions by a neural model 16.5 Case study: prediction of permeate flux decay during ultrafiltration performed in pulsating conditions by a hybrid neural model 16.6 Case study: implementation of feedback control systems based on hybrid neural models 16.7 Conclusions 16.9 Appendix: nomenclature Chapter 17: Assessment of the key properties of materials used in membrane reactors by quantum computational approaches Abstract: 17.1 Introduction 17.2 Basic concepts of computational approaches 17.3 Gas adsorption in porous nanostructured materials 17.4 Adsorption and absorption of hydrogen and small gases 17.5 Conclusions and future trends 17.7 Appendix: nomenclature Chapter 18: Non-equilibrium thermodynamics for the description of transport of heat and mass across a zeolite membrane Abstract: 18.1 Introduction 18.2 Fluxes and forces from the second law and transport coefficients 18.3 Case studies of heat and mass transport across the zeolite membrane 18.4 Conclusions and future trends 18.5 Acknowledgement 18.7 Appendix: nomenclature Index