P2M2X – Development of a Novel Plasma Membrane Reactor for CO₂ Splitting

Challenges

Defossilizing the chemical industry is an essential step towards a climate-neutral economy. Alongside electrochemistry, plasma technologies can make an important contribution. P2M2X focuses on syngas production and provides a non-fossil drop-in solution that can sustainably replace conventional processes, with the potential to operate existing plants and their downstream value chains in a climate-neutral manner.

Objectives and project plan

In this project, Cyclize GmbH, Fraunhofer IGB and the University of Stuttgart are developing a novel plasma membrane reactor that combines a plasma source and a membrane in a way that enables substantially higher separation performance than previous systems. The reactor uses a glow-to-arc discharge (GAD) plasma, which provides degrees of freedom for controlling the temperature distribution within the plasma. This temperature control is key to effective oxygen separation. For this purpose, Fraunhofer IGB is developing ceramic mixed ionic-electronic conducting (MIEC) hollow-fiber membranes designed to selectively remove the oxygen produced during CO₂ splitting.

Impact

In the industry-led P2M2X project, CO₂ is to be split into industrially usable CO in an electrified process, with the required energy supplied by a GAD plasma. Separation using MIEC hollow-fiber membranes is integrated into the conversion process within the same reactor. This increases product yield and enables a compact system with a small footprint. The modular design makes the innovative technology readily scalable and adaptable to different CO₂ sources, including point sources and direct air capture (DAC). The chemical industry in particular has strong demand for alternative CO sources. The process can also enable the economically viable conversion of complex waste streams, such as residual municipal waste or shredded vehicles, into hydrogen-rich syngas.