Toray Industries has reported encouraging results from a one-year pilot test of its carbon-based membrane designed to separate carbon dioxide and methane, showing a sharp reduction in moisture removal costs at a biogas facility in Japan’s Osaka Prefecture, reports Carbon Herald.
The company said the pilot project found that the cost of removing moisture was about 70% lower than with existing biogas cleaning methods. The trial was carried out at a sewage treatment plant, where biogas produced from organic waste must be cleaned to produce biomethane by removing carbon dioxide and water.
With growing concerns over energy security and efforts to cut emissions, the need for more efficient gas separation methods is increasing. Biogas cleaning remains technically difficult because moisture in the gas damages the polymer and mineral-based membranes that are widely used today.
Toray’s carbon-based membrane overcomes this problem by keeping its chemical stability and separation ability even when exposed to wet gas.
Unlike conventional systems, which need an expensive pre-drying step using absorbent materials, the new membrane can remove carbon dioxide and moisture at the same time. This simplifies the process and lowers running costs.
The company said the technology could also be used in other areas, such as cleaning natural gas, separating carbon dioxide from factory exhaust gases, and wider systems aimed at capturing and managing emissions.
By removing the issue of moisture sensitivity, the membrane could help improve scale and cost efficiency across several gas processing industries.
Toray plans to present the membrane technology at the Nano Tech 2026 exhibition in Tokyo from January 28 to 30, 2026. Part of the development work was supported by funding from Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization.
The company said it will continue research work to deliver technologies that support a carbon-neutral economy, with advanced gas separation seen as an important tool for cleaner energy and lower industrial emissions.
