Helium separation using membrane technology: Recent advances and perspectives

Zhongde Dai; Jing Deng; Xuezhong He; Colin A. Scholes; Xia Jiang; Bangda Wang; Hongfang Guo; Yulie Ma; Liyuan Deng

doi:10.1016/j.seppur.2021.119044

Helium separation using membrane technology: Recent advances and perspectives

Zhongde Dai^*, Jing Deng, Xuezhong He, Colin A. Scholes, Xia Jiang, Bangda Wang, Hongfang Guo, Yulie Ma, Liyuan Deng

^*Corresponding author for this work

Chemical Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

42 Scopus citations

Abstract

Helium is an unrenewable noble gas produced from natural gas with a wide range of scientific, medical, and industrial applications. Due to the large differences in the kinetic diameters between helium (0.26 nm) and nitrogen (0.364 nm) or methane (0.38 nm), membrane technology has been considered a promising alternative to traditional technologies for helium recovery and purification. This paper systematically reviews the advances in membrane material development for helium separation in recent years. Gas permeation data presented in this work were collected from over 1000 membrane materials, including polymeric, inorganic, and mixed matrix membranes. Moreover, membrane processes for helium recovery and purification from natural gas were critically analyzed and discussed concerning technical feasibility, energy consumption, and separation costs. Challenges in helium purification using membrane technology were also discussed, and potential solutions have been suggested. Lastly, future perspectives on research directions on membrane material development and hybrid helium purification process design and optimization are proposed.

Original language	English
Article number	119044
Journal	Separation and Purification Technology
Volume	274
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2021.119044
State	Published - 1 Nov 2021

Keywords

Carbon molecular sieve membranes
Helium recovery
Hybrid processes
Inorganic membranes
Membrane separation
Polymeric membranes

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.seppur.2021.119044

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title = "Helium separation using membrane technology: Recent advances and perspectives",

abstract = "Helium is an unrenewable noble gas produced from natural gas with a wide range of scientific, medical, and industrial applications. Due to the large differences in the kinetic diameters between helium (0.26 nm) and nitrogen (0.364 nm) or methane (0.38 nm), membrane technology has been considered a promising alternative to traditional technologies for helium recovery and purification. This paper systematically reviews the advances in membrane material development for helium separation in recent years. Gas permeation data presented in this work were collected from over 1000 membrane materials, including polymeric, inorganic, and mixed matrix membranes. Moreover, membrane processes for helium recovery and purification from natural gas were critically analyzed and discussed concerning technical feasibility, energy consumption, and separation costs. Challenges in helium purification using membrane technology were also discussed, and potential solutions have been suggested. Lastly, future perspectives on research directions on membrane material development and hybrid helium purification process design and optimization are proposed.",

keywords = "Carbon molecular sieve membranes, Helium recovery, Hybrid processes, Inorganic membranes, Membrane separation, Polymeric membranes",

author = "Zhongde Dai and Jing Deng and Xuezhong He and Scholes, {Colin A.} and Xia Jiang and Bangda Wang and Hongfang Guo and Yulie Ma and Liyuan Deng",

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doi = "10.1016/j.seppur.2021.119044",

language = "英语",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Helium separation using membrane technology

T2 - Recent advances and perspectives

AU - Dai, Zhongde

AU - Deng, Jing

AU - He, Xuezhong

AU - Scholes, Colin A.

AU - Jiang, Xia

AU - Wang, Bangda

AU - Guo, Hongfang

AU - Ma, Yulie

AU - Deng, Liyuan

PY - 2021/11/1

Y1 - 2021/11/1

N2 - Helium is an unrenewable noble gas produced from natural gas with a wide range of scientific, medical, and industrial applications. Due to the large differences in the kinetic diameters between helium (0.26 nm) and nitrogen (0.364 nm) or methane (0.38 nm), membrane technology has been considered a promising alternative to traditional technologies for helium recovery and purification. This paper systematically reviews the advances in membrane material development for helium separation in recent years. Gas permeation data presented in this work were collected from over 1000 membrane materials, including polymeric, inorganic, and mixed matrix membranes. Moreover, membrane processes for helium recovery and purification from natural gas were critically analyzed and discussed concerning technical feasibility, energy consumption, and separation costs. Challenges in helium purification using membrane technology were also discussed, and potential solutions have been suggested. Lastly, future perspectives on research directions on membrane material development and hybrid helium purification process design and optimization are proposed.

AB - Helium is an unrenewable noble gas produced from natural gas with a wide range of scientific, medical, and industrial applications. Due to the large differences in the kinetic diameters between helium (0.26 nm) and nitrogen (0.364 nm) or methane (0.38 nm), membrane technology has been considered a promising alternative to traditional technologies for helium recovery and purification. This paper systematically reviews the advances in membrane material development for helium separation in recent years. Gas permeation data presented in this work were collected from over 1000 membrane materials, including polymeric, inorganic, and mixed matrix membranes. Moreover, membrane processes for helium recovery and purification from natural gas were critically analyzed and discussed concerning technical feasibility, energy consumption, and separation costs. Challenges in helium purification using membrane technology were also discussed, and potential solutions have been suggested. Lastly, future perspectives on research directions on membrane material development and hybrid helium purification process design and optimization are proposed.

KW - Carbon molecular sieve membranes

KW - Helium recovery

KW - Hybrid processes

KW - Inorganic membranes

KW - Membrane separation

KW - Polymeric membranes

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85108738206&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.seppur.2021.119044

DO - 10.1016/j.seppur.2021.119044

M3 - 文献综述

AN - SCOPUS:85108738206

SN - 1383-5866

VL - 274

JO - Separation and Purification Technology

JF - Separation and Purification Technology

M1 - 119044

ER -

Helium separation using membrane technology: Recent advances and perspectives

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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