Long-Term Stable H2 Production from Methylcyclohexane Using a Membrane Reactor with a Dimethoxydiphenylsilane-Derived Silica Membrane Prepared via Chemical Vapor Deposition

Continuous and stable operation of a membrane reactor for 1054 h to dehydrogenate methylcyclohexane for the purpose of producing high-purity H 2, using a dimethoxydiphenylsilane (DMDPS)-derived silica membrane, is successfully demonstrated. The silica membrane used was prepared via a chemical vapor deposition method, using DMDPS as a precursor, and Pt/Al 2 O 3 catalysts were employed and loaded inside the tubular membrane. During the 1054 h of continuous operation, an equilibrium shift was stably demonstrated, because of the stable extraction of the produced H 2 from the reaction side to the permeate side, and, accordingly, the purity of H 2 in the permeate gas was stably high. Although the DMDPS-derived membrane showed a slight decrease in performance after 1054 h of operation, followed by regeneration under an H 2 atmosphere, this first successful demonstration of the long-term stable operation of a membrane reactor using silica membranes is of significance to its practical and industrial use.