Exploitation of combined polymeric and ceramic membrane technology for hydrogen recovery from biogas reforming effluents: Prototype system tests and design optimization

• A hybrid membrane cascade system combining CO 2 -selective polymeric and H 2 -selective ceramic membranes was developed and tested. • The prototype system enables high-purity hydrogen recovery from biogas steam reforming effluents . • Experimental results achieved >99.2 % H 2 purity and >10 % H 2 recovery in once-through operation. • Process simulations revealed optimal membrane area configurations for purity-recovery trade-off, with up to 68 % recovery using recycling. • The study demonstrates a scalable, energy-efficient pathway for renewable hydrogen production with low environmental impact. The pressing demand on sustainable hydrogen production has accelerated research in renewable resources and innovative separation technologies. The current study presents a comprehensive investigation of a hybrid membrane system combining polymeric and ceramic membranes for high-purity hydrogen recovery from biogas reforming effluents. A prototype system integrating a steam reformer and a dual stage membrane cascade was developed and tested. The CO 2 selective polymeric membranes and the H 2 selective nanoporous ceramic membranes were extensively characterized through single and mixed gas permeation tests. The whole system was tested using a simulating biogas stream with a specific composition of 60 % CH 4 and 40 % CO 2 . A dynamic simulation model was established to optimize membrane surface area and process configurations. Experimental results demonstrated hydrogen purities exceeding 99.2 % and recoveries up to 10.7 % in once through operation mode, while the simulation predicted recoveries up to 68 % with membrane module optimization and recycling mode activated. These findings underscore the potential of combined membrane systems as a scalable, novel implementation for hydrogen recovery from renewable sources, advancing the transition towards a sustainable hydrogen economy.