Stabilizing Hydraulic Fluid by Removing Water

In the electrical power, steel production, and aluminum production industries, flame retardant, phosphate-ester hydraulic fluids are used to minimize fires. Although these fluids accomplish the fire-minimization task, they are unstable, which causes performance to suffer with attendant losses in productivity. This project will develop novel, chemically-resistant high-flux membranes that can remove the chemical reactants that make these hydraulic fluids unstable. The resultant process will be performed on-line, thereby minimizing degradation and enhancing productivity. Phase I will first design and fabricate custom membrane systems. Candidates will be screened for feasibility; then, enhanced performance and stability will be demonstrated, using a commercial flare-retardant phosphate ester. This step will be followed by long-term testing and economic analysis. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The underlying technology concerns the removal of small undesirable molecules (e.g. oxygen, water) from organic liquids. Although the current application focuses on stabilizing flame retardant, phosphate-ester hydraulic fluids for power plants, steel plants and aluminum plants, many other petrochemical streams (e.g., oxygen removal from monomers, removal of gases from transformer oil) would be candidate applications for the technology.