Reactor studies using alumina separation membranes for the dehydrogenation of methanol and n-butane

In this letter experiments are described in which passive membranes of alumina in combination with ZnO and EuroPt-1 catalysts were used to demonstrate the shift of the equilibrium of the methanol and n-butane dehydrogenation, respectively, by separating hydrogen from the reaction zone. The dehydrogenation of butane was carried out with a conversion which was increased by a factor of 1.5 and a selectivity to butene which increased by a factor of 1.6 when compared with a normal non-separative reactor. The dehydrogenation of methanol was carried out to give a yield to formaldehyde of 19% at 500°C. The yield in the absence of the membrane was 14.4%.