A review on patents for hydrogen production using membrane reactors

Membrane reactors are a modern configuration which integrates reaction and separation units in one vessel and results in a tremendous degree of process intensification. Application of membrane reactors for hydrogen production has been widely studied in literature because membranes with infinite permselectivity towards hydrogen are well known since two centuries. On the other hand, the request of ultra-pure hydrogen is constantly increasing mainly due to the advances in fuel cells. For this reason, different patents have also been awarded in this field. In this review, the main aspects related to the patents on hydrogen production through membrane reactors have been reported, with particular attention to the future trend on the field. © 2009 Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.