SOLID POLYMER ELECTROLYTE MEMBRANES FOR OLEFIN SEPARATION

SEPARATION OF OLEFINS FROM SATURATED HYDROCARBONS IS AN INDUSTRIALLY IMPORTANT GAS SEPARATION THAT IS HIGHLY ENERGY INTENSIVE USING CURRENT TECHNOLOGY. MEMBRANE SEPARATION PROCESSES GENERALLY USE MUCH LESS ENERGY THAN CONVENTIONAL PROCESSES SUCH AS DISTILLATION. POLYMERIC MEMBRANES HAVE BEEN APPLIED SUCCESSFULLY TO A NUMBER OF GAS SEPARATINS, INCLUDING NITROGEN PRODUCTION FROM AIR AND HYDROGEN REMOVAL FROM REFINERY STREAMS. HOWEVER, THE SELECTIVITIES AND GAS FLUXES OF POLYMERIC MEMBRANES FOR OLEFIN SEPARATION FROM SATURATED HYDROCARBOPNS ARE INSUFFICIENT. FACILITATED TRANSPORT MEMBRANES OFTEN HAVE HIGHER SELECTIVITIES THAN POLYMERIC MEMBRANES. FACILITATED TRANSPORT MEMBRANES USE REACTIONS WITH A COMPLEXING AGENT INCORPORATED INTO THE MEMBRANE TO SELECTIVELY ENHANCE THE PERMEABILITY OF ONE OF THE COMPONENTS OF A GAS MIXTURE. TWO PROBLEMS LIMIT THE APPLICATION OF FACILITATED TRANSPORT MEMBRANES TO INDUSTRIAL GAS SEPARATION APPLICATIONS: MEMBRANE INSTABILITY AND LOW GAS FLUXES. THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO PRODUCE CHEMICALLY AND MECHANICALLY STABLE FACILITATED TRANSPORT MEMBRANES WITH HIGH GAS FLUXES AND HIGH SELECTIVITIES FOR THE SEPARATION OF OLEFINS FROM SATURATED HYDROCARBONS. THE SELECTIVE MEMBRANES WILL CONSIST OF A POLYMER MATERIAL THAT CAN DISSOLVE THE METAL ION TO BE USED AS THE GAS COMPLEXING AGENT. THIS SOLID POLYMER ELECTROLYTE WILL BE FORMED INTO A THIN-FILM COMPOSITE MEMBRANE. PHASE I WILL DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF DEVELOPING THESE POLYMER ELECTROLYTE COMPOSITE MEMBRANES FOR THE SEPARATION OF OLEFINS FROM SATURATED HYDROCARBONS. IN CONTRAST TO PREVIOUS FACILITATED TRANSPORT MEMBRANES, THE POLYMER ELECTROLYTE COMPOSITE MEMRANES ARE EXPECTED TO BE STABLE UNDER HIGHER GAS FLUXES THAN CONVENTIONAL FACILITATED TRANSPORT MEMBRANES.