Large surface-to-volume-ratio and ultrahigh selectivity SSZ-13 membranes on 61-channel monoliths for efficient separation of CO2/CH4 mixture

This monolithic configuration of support owns superior mechanical strength, high surface-to-volume ratio and largely reduced sealing points compared with the ceramic hollow-fiber and tubular ones. Intergrown and thin SSZ-13 membranes with surface-to-volume ratio of 680 m2/m3 were prepared the 61-channel monoliths via one-step secondary growth. The membrane thickness on the different channels was uniform. The typical membrane with efficient membrane area of ∼200 cm2 achieved ultrahigh selectivity of CO2/CH4 up to 280, which was higher than that of reported SSZ-13 membranes that always had area less than 20 cm2. The effects of temperature and pressure on separation performance of membranes on 61-channel monoliths were investigated. Our results suggest that the scalable SSZ-13 membrane on 61-channel monolith is a good candidate for natural gas sweetening.