The invention relates to a method for separating gases which comprises: a first step in which a gas fuel stream comprising combustible substances that produce gas products when oxidised, and an oxygen-rich inlet stream are passed through at least two modules of oxygen-separating ceramic membranes, such that the two streams come into contact through the membranes and exchange heat; a second step of selective diffusion of oxygen from the oxygen-rich stream to the fuel stream, such that the outlet streams from the membrane modules are an oxygen-depleted or completely oxygen-free stream and a partially or completely oxidised stream; and a third step of recovery of at least two separate outlet streams of at least two gases selected from oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

A method for extending useful life of a sorbent for purifying a gas by sorption of an impurity is provided. The method generating a electrical discharge within the gas to obtain a spectral emission representative of a concentration of the impurity. The method also includes monitoring the concentration of the impurity according to the spectral emission. The method also includes lowering the concentration of the impurity by conversion of at least a portion of the impurity into a secondary impurity having a greater affinity to the sorbent than the impurity. The method also includes comparing the concentration of the impurity to a polluting concentration and managing the sorption of the gas onto the sorbent according to the comparison.

The invention provides a process for producing a fermentable gas stream from a gas source that contains one or more constituent which may be harmful to the fermentation process. To produce the fermentable gas stream, the gas stream is passed through a specifically ordered series of removal modules. The removal modules remove and/or convert various constituents found in the gas stream which may have harmful effects on downstream removal modules and/or inhibitory effects on downstream gas fermenting microorganisms. At least a portion of the fermentable gas stream is preferably capable of being passed to a bioreactor, which contains gas fermenting microorganisms, without inhibiting the fermentation process.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for hydrogen production as well as apparatuses useful in such systems and methods. Hydrogen is produced by steam reforming of a hydrocarbon in a gas heated reformer that is heated using one or more streams comprising combustion products of a fuel in an oxidant, preferably in the presence of a carbon dioxide circulating stream.

The present invention concerns a sorption-enhanced water-gas shift (SEWGS) process for the formation of a CO.sub.2 product stream and an H.sub.2 product stream, comprising (a) a reaction step, wherein a feed gas comprising CO.sub.x, wherein x=1-2, and H.sub.2O is fed into a SEWGS reactor containing a catalyst and sorbent material capable of adsorbing CO.sub.2, thereby forming the H.sub.2 product stream and a sorbent material loaded with CO.sub.2; (b) a rinse step, wherein steam is fed to the SEWGS reactor, thereby establishing a pressure in the range of 5-50 bar; (c) a pre-blowdown step, wherein the pressure in the SEWGS reactor is reduced to establish a blowdown pressure in the range of 0.5-1.5 times the partial pressure of CO and CO.sub.2 in the feed gas of step (a); (d) a blowdown step, wherein the pressure in the SEWGS reactor is reduced to the regeneration pressure in the range of 1-5 bar, thereby releasing at least part of the CO.sub.2 from the loaded sorbent material, thereby forming the CO.sub.2 product stream; and (e) a purge step, wherein steam is fed to the SEWGS reactor, thereby releasing further CO.sub.2 molecules from the SEWGS reactor, wherein the off gas released from the reactor during step (c) is collected separately from the CO.sub.2 product stream released from the reactor during step (d). The separate collection of the off gas of pre-blowdown step (c) affords a highly efficient process with excellent CO.sub.2 purity and carbon capture ratio.

Sulfur-crosslinked olefins, particularly sulfur-crosslinked heavy hydrocarbon products having one or more sulfur-crosslinked olefin moieties, may undergo pyrolysis to form sulfur-doped porous carbon having high BET surface area values. Pyrolysis to form the sulfur-doped porous carbon may be particularly efficacious in the presence of a hydroxide base. BET surface areas up to 2000 m.sup.2/g or even higher may be obtained. Such sulfur-doped porous carbon may be prepared by combining a heavy hydrocarbon product with sulfur, heating to a first temperature state to form a liquefied reaction mixture containing a sulfur-crosslinked heavy hydrocarbon, homogeneously mixing a hydroxide base with the liquefied reaction mixture, and pyrolyzing the sulfur-crosslinked heavy hydrocarbon to form sulfur-doped porous carbon.

The present disclosure is directed to processes for the selective separation of carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) from multi-component feedstreams containing CO.sub.2. The processes use a potassium-form MER framework type zeolite having a stick-like morphology. The potassium is present in the zeolite as K.sup.+ in extra-framework locations, and the zeolite is essentially free of an extra-framework cation other than potassium.

The present disclosure is directed to processes for the selective separation of carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) from multi-component feedstreams containing CO.sub.2. The processes use a potassium-form MER framework type zeolite having a stick-like morphology. The potassium is present in the zeolite as K.sup.+ in extra-framework locations, and the zeolite is essentially free of an extra-framework cation other than potassium.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for hydrogen production as well as apparatuses useful in such systems and methods. Hydrogen is produced by steam reforming of a hydrocarbon in a gas heated reformer that is heated using one or more streams comprising combustion products of a fuel in an oxidant, preferably in the presence of a carbon dioxide circulating stream.

An apparatus for producing hydrogen in a steam methane reformer with reduced carbon emissions, the apparatus comprising: a first heat exchanger configured to heat a feed stream comprising methane to produce a heated feed stream that is at a temperature above 500° C.; a reaction zone in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger, wherein the reaction zone is configured to receive the heated feed stream under conditions effective for catalytically cracking the heated feed stream and catalytically crack the heated feed stream to produce a reformed stream, wherein the reformed stream comprises hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and unreacted methane; a shift conversion unit in fluid communication with the reaction zone, wherein the shift conversion unit is configured to receive the reformed stream in the presence of steam and produce a shifted gas stream comprising hydrogen and carbon dioxide; and a hydrogen purification unit configured to receive the shifted gas stream and purify the shifted gas stream to produce a hydrogen product stream and a tail gas; wherein the conditions effective for catalytically cracking the heated feed stream comprise providing heat to the reaction zone via combustion of a fuel and a hydrogen fuel stream in presence of an oxidizer, wherein the fuel comprises ammonia, wherein a flue gas is produced by the combustion of the fuel and the hydrogen fuel stream.