DEVELOPMENT OF A NOVEL MEMBRANE FOR EXTRACTION OF OXYGEN FROM AIR

VIRTUALLY ALL POLYMERIC MEMBRANES ARE MORE PERMEABLE TO OXYGEN THAN TO NITROGEN. IN CURRENT COMMERCIAL MEMBRANES THE RATIO OF OXYGEN TO NITROGEN PERMEABILITIES IS BETWEEN 2 AND 5. WITH THESE LOW SELECTIVITIES, THE HIGHEST-PURITY OXYGEN-ENRICHED AIR OBTAINABLE IN A SINGLE MEMBRANE STAGE ISABOUT 50%-AND MORE TYPICALLY, MEMBRANE PROCESSES MAKE 30 TO 35% OXYGEN. THIS PROPOSAL ADDRESSES THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW TYPE OF MEMBRANE THAT SHOULD EXHIBIT AN OXYGEN-OVER-NITROGEN SELECTIVITY OF AS HIGH AS 70, LEADING TO A MEMBRANE PROCESS THAT CAN PRODUCE OXYGEN AT A PURITY OFGREATER THAN 95% IN A SINGLE STAGE. FURTHERMORE, PRELIMNARYCALCULATIONS SHOW THAT FOR A 10-TON-PER-DAY PLANT, THE MEMBRANE PROCESS SHOULD PRODUCE OXYGEN AT A COST OF $10/TON COMPARED WITH A COST OF ABOUT $90/TON FOR MERCHANT OXYGEN AND $50/TON FOR OXYGEN PRODUCED VIA ABSORPTION. THE MEMBRANE TO BE DEVELOPED WILL CONSIST OF A THIN FILM OF A NOVEL INTERFACIAL POLYMER ON A MICROPOROUS SUPPORT. PHASE IIS AIMED AT PRODUCING SUCH A MEMBRANE AND DEMONSTRATING HIGHOXYGEN SELECTIVITY AND PERMEABILITY.