Application of Trapdoor Zeolites for Separation of Hydrogen and Helium from Gas Streams via Temperature-Regulated Guest Admission Process

September 1st, 2024

R&D Focus Areas:
Separation materials and technologies, Nanomaterials

Lead Organisation:
Curtin University

Funding:
Future Energy Exports CRC (PhD Project)

Status:
Active

Start date:
2022

Completion date:
2025

Project summary description:
This PhD research focuses on hydrogen separation from gas mixtures using novel trapdoor zeolites through a temperature-regulated guest admission process. Trapdoor zeolites are microporous materials that discriminate between gas molecules above and below a critical temperature based on the nature of the guest molecules and their kinetic diameter. The extra-framework cations in these materials block the entrances of narrow pores connecting large cages, allowing cations to act as ‘gate-keepers’ with thermal oscillations above a critical temperature opening the pores.

The research will explore the temperature-regulated gas adsorption properties of various trapdoor zeolites including Type A(LTAs) and RHO in the presence of different gas molecules of H2, CO2, N2, and CH4. These novel zeolites can achieve extreme separation of hydrogen molecules over larger gas molecules like N2 and CH4 over a temperature-regulated gas admission procedure, where the thermal fluctuations of the pore-keeping group are affected by interactions with guest molecules without sustained pressure. With the same concept, the exploited innovation can be applied to purify helium due to its similar size to hydrogen as an alternative to the Cryogenic distillation process which is energy-intensive due to sub-zero temperature requirements.

Further information:
https://www.fenex.org.au/connect/

 

September 2024