To make natural gas and biogas suitable for use, the methane has to be separated from the CO2. This involves the use of membranes: filters that stop the methane and let the CO2 pass through. Researchers at KU Leuven have developed a new membrane that makes the separation process much more effective.
When it comes to extracting natural gas or producing biogas, it’s all about the methane. But methane is never found in its pure form. Natural gas, for instance, always contains quite a bit of carbon dioxide (the greenhouse gas CO2), sometimes up to 50 percent. To purify the methane - or, in other words, remove the CO2 - the industry often uses membranes. These membranes function as molecular sieves that separate the methane and the CO2. ...
