An Improved Membrane Module Tubesheet for Industrial Separations

50119-98-I An Improved Membrane Module Tubesheet for Industrial Separations--TDA Research, Inc., 12345 West 52nd Avenue, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033-1916; (303) 940-2300 Dr. Kevin Gleason, Principal Investigator Mr. John D. Wright, Business Official DOE Grant No. DE-FG03-98ER82691 Amount: $75,000 In spite of impressive advancements in membrane separations technologies, their use in the chemical and petrochemical industries has been limited. One reason is that the very process streams, to which membranes separations could contribute the most, either chemically attack the current potting materials that seal the tubes or are at temperatures above the working limits of the epoxy tubesheets. This project will increase the range of applications in which membranes can be used by improving the epoxies used to form the tubesheets, making them more chemically and thermally stable, more resistant to organic solvents, and with improved mechanical properties. In Phase I, a series of reactive organic-inorganic curing agents will be synthesized and characterized. These will be added into current epoxy formulations, cured, and the resulting tubesheet materials will be evaluated for mechanical, thermal, and solvent resistance behavior. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: If this project is successful, membrane based separations should be extended into industrial applications, such as organic-organic separations at elevated temperatures, that are currently too harsh for current membrane potting materials._