Efficient ammonia decomposition in membrane reactor for hydrogen separation, purification, storage, and utilization

Ammonia is currently considered as an energy carrier because it allows for hydrogen storage in liquid-phase under mild conditions. Although ammonia can be directly employed for energy application, its use in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) requires two steps: decomposition into hydrogen and nitrogen, and separation of hydrogen. The combination of ammonia decomposition and in situ separation of hydrogen via membrane reactor (MR) can lead to relax the thermodynamic constraints, reduce the footprint of this technology, and intensify the process. Indeed, in the field of hydrogen production and separation, the use of MR induces the selective hydrogen removal from the reaction zone through the membrane enabling a higher conversion and hydrogen yield compared to the conventional reactor. In this chapter, the relevant progress achieved so far, the most relevant topics of ammonia decomposition via MR technology and the effects of the most important parameters affecting the reaction in MRs are described and critically reviewed. In addition, an overview on the mathematical models used for simulating ammonia decomposition in MR is also presented and discussed.