State-of-the-art polymeric membranes and polymer derived membranes for simultaneous CO2 and H2S removal from sour natural gas

Abstract

Natural gas is an important resource that ensures the energy supply and reduces CO₂ emissions simultaneously. However, many natural gases from well head contain a certain amount of acid gas, which must be removed to meet the pipeline requirement. Among the existing natural gas sweetening process, membrane technology is considered as a cost-effective, less energy intensive method that can remove both CO₂ and H₂S simultaneously. The membranes with high permeability, high selectivity, and good durability are developing very fast. In this review, we summarized the latest state-of-the-art membranes investigated for H₂S/CH₄ and CO₂/CH₄ separation applications, including conventional polymer membranes, polyimides, polymer of intrinsic microporosity, rubber polymers, carbon molecular sieve membranes, hollow fiber membranes, and membrane processes for H₂S and CO₂ removal from natural gas.