In a hydrocarbon-fed steam methane reformer hydrogen-production process and system, carbon dioxide is recovered in a pre-combustion context, and optionally additional amounts of carbon dioxide are recovered in a post-combustion carbon dioxide removal, to provide the improved carbon dioxide recovery or capture disclosed herein.

An aminated magnesium oxide adsorbent, which is the reaction product of a magnesium oxide matrix having disordered mesopores and an amino silane, wherein amine functional groups are present on an external surface and within the disordered mesopores of the magnesium oxide matrix, and wherein the aminated magnesium oxide adsorbent has an average pore volume of 0.2 to 0.4 cm.sup.3/g. A method of making the aminated magnesium oxide adsorbent and a method of capturing CO.sub.2 from a gas mixture with the aminated magnesium oxide adsorbent are also described.

A system and method for processing unconditioned syngas first removes solids and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC), then removes volatile organic compounds (VOC), and then removes at least one sulfur containing compound from the syngas. Additional processing may be performed depending on such factors as the source of syngas being processed, the products, byproducts and intermediate products desired to be formed, captured or recycled and environmental considerations.

The invention present provides a method (and suitable apparatus) to convert biomass to ethanol, comprising gasifying the biomass to produce raw syngas; feeding the raw syngas to an acid-gas removal unit to remove at least some CO.sub.2 and produce a conditioned syngas stream; feeding the conditioned syngas stream to a fermentor to biologically convert the syngas to ethanol; capturing a tail gas from an exit of the fermentor, wherein the tail gas comprises at least CO.sub.2 and unconverted CO or H.sub.2; and recycling a first portion of the tail gas to the fermentor and/or a second portion of the tail gas to the acid-gas removal unit. This invention allows for increased syngas conversion to ethanol, improved process efficiency, and better overall biorefinery economics for conversion of biomass to ethanol.

Disclosed herein is a gas separation membrane comprising a furan-based polymer, an apparatus comprising the gas separation membrane, and a process for separating a mixture of gases using said gas separation membrane. The process comprises contacting one side of a gas separation membrane comprising a furan-based polymer with a mixture of gases having different gas permeances, whereby at least one gas from the mixture of gases permeates preferentially across the gas separation membrane, thereby separating the at least one gas from the mixture of gases.

Disclosed herein is a system for recovering carbon monoxide from an industrial by-product gas, the system including a supply unit for supplying an industrial by-product gas containing carbon dioxide, nitrogen, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen, a first membrane separation unit including a separation membrane capable of allowing carbon dioxide and hydrogen to permeate, and receiving the industrial by-product gas supplied from the supply unit to allow carbon dioxide and hydrogen to permeate, and a second membrane separation unit including a polymer membrane in which a transition metal is supported, and receiving a gas remaining in the first membrane separation unit to allow carbon monoxide to permeate.

A system and method for processing unconditioned syngas first removes solids and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC), then removes volatile organic compounds (VOC), and then removes at least one sulfur containing compound from the syngas. Additional processing may be performed depending on such factors as the source of syngas being processed, the products, byproducts and intermediate products desired to be formed, captured or recycled and environmental considerations.

The present invention provides for a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) process for the substantial removal of H.sub.2O and CO.sub.2 from a synthesis gas to obtain a multicomponent product gas substantially free of H.sub.2O and CO.sub.2 with high recovery of the product gas. Further, the present invention provides an integrated process that achieves sufficiently high H.sub.2 and CO recoveries such that compression and recycling of the syngas purification PSA tailgas is not necessary to be economically advantageous compared to the conventional processes.

The invention relates to a process for removal of metal carbonyl from a gas mixture. The gas mixture is subjected to a gas scrubbing in an absorber with methanol as the physical scrubbing liquid to obtain the laden methanol. The metals of the metal carbonyls are at least partially precipitated from the laden methanol as metal sulfides to obtain a first suspension comprising metal sulfides and at least a proportion of the laden methanol. The first suspension is sent to a treatment vessel and therein brought into direct contact with water vapor in countercurrent to obtain a second suspension comprising at least water, methanol and metal sulfides and a gaseous product. The second suspension and the gaseous product are withdrawn from the treatment vessel as separate streams.

In a method for operating an adsorption device a laden gas stream is fed to an inlet of a sorption buffer device. In the device the laden gas stream passes through a sorbent for receiving a loading of sorbable substance along a sorption path from the inlet to an outlet. The sorbable substance passes from the gas stream to the sorbent, or vice versa, depending on the loading of the gas stream and the sorbent. During a phase of elevated loading, a region with an elevated loading of the sorbent extends from the inlet along the sorption path. During a phase of reduced loading, the region with the elevated loading of the sorbent is shifted in the direction toward the outlet. Length of the sorption path and quantity of the sorbent in the sorption buffer device are selected for accommodating at least three different regions of elevated loading.