CHBE Seminar: Dr. W.S. Winston Ho, The Ohio State University
Friday, April 14, 2023
11:00 a.m.
Room 2108 Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Building and Via Zoom
For More Information:
Patricia Lorenzana
301-405-1935
plorenza@umd.edu

New Facilitated Transport Membranes for CO2 Capture from Flue Gas and Syngas

Abstract: This presentation covers new facilitated transport membranes for post-combustion CO2 capture from flue gas in coal- and/or natural gas-fired power plants and from high pressure syngas for pre-combustion carbon capture.  We have synthesized highly CO2-selective membranes comprising fixed-site and mobile carriers, involving the facilitated transport mechanism based on reversible CO2 reactions with amine carriers.  In general, the membranes need to be tailor-made and tuned specifically for those applications.  For example, post-combustion carbon capture requires a high CO2/N2 selectivity of 140 together with a very high CO2 permeance of greater than 700 GPU (1 GPU = 10-6 cm3 (STP)/(cm2∙ s ∙ cmHg)) in order to use a stand-alone membrane process.  On the other hand, hydrogen purification for pre-combustion carbon capture demands the membranes with a very high CO2/H2 selectivity of 100 along with a modest CO2 permeance of about 100 GPU or greater.  In order to achieve the membrane performance, highlighted in this talk are composite membranes comprising a high-selectivity layer on a highly permeable nanoporous polymeric support for continuous roll-to-roll fabrication.  Also highlighted are the effects of amine steric hindrance, CO2 concentration/partial pressure, and carrier saturation phenomenon on membrane performance.  In addition, discussed are the scale-up of the membranes through continuous roll-to-roll fabrication, spiral-wound membrane module fabrication and scale-up, and membrane module testing with simulated and actual flue gas streams and simulated high pressure syngas.  Recent bench skid testing with natural gas flue gas demonstrated 90 – 99% CO2 capture degrees, all with ≥95% CO2 purity.

Bio: Dr. W.S. Winston Ho is a Distinguished Professor of Engineering in the William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at The Ohio State University.  Before teaching for 23 years, he had 28 years of industrial R&D experience in membranes and separation processes, working for Allied Chemical, Xerox and Exxon, and serving as Senior Vice-President of Technology at Commodore Separation Technologies.  He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering, USA in 2002 in recognition of his distinguished contributions to engineering.  A New Jersey Inventor of the Year (1991), Dr. Ho holds more than 60 U.S. patents, generally with foreign counterparts, in membranes and separation processes.  He received the 2006 Institute Award for Excellence in Industrial Gases Technology from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), and he was the 2007 recipient of Clarence G. Gerhold Award, from the AIChE Separations Division, one of the highest honors bestowed to those working on separations.  He received the 2012 Lawrence B. Evans Award in Chemical Engineering Practice from AIChE.  In 2014, he was elected to Academia Sinica, the highest form of academic recognition in the Republic of China in Taiwan.  He obtained his B.S. degree from National Taiwan University and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, all in Chemical Engineering

This Event is For: Graduate • Faculty