Dehydration of Acids and Harsh Chemicals Via Pervaporation/Vapor Permeation Using Inorganic Membranes

Pervaporation (PV) and vapor permeation (VP) membranes have been touted as highly effective for a wide array of liquid and vapor separations, particularly for dehydration of aggressive chemicals; yet, they have been limited to a relatively small number of niche applications. The barriers to further penetration include cost, reliability, and performance stability. This project will develop molecular sieving nanoporous inorganic membranes to overcome the limitations of current PV/VP membrane technology. These low-cost high-performance membranes will deliver outstanding thermal, mechanical, and hydrothermal stability at temperatures in excess of 200ºC. Further, they offer the potential to deliver very high fluxes and selectivities in a range of PV/VP applications, reducing system costs and improving separation efficiency, in comparison to the current generation of polymeric and other inorganic based PV/VP membranes. An experimental study in Phase I demonstrated the technical viability of the membrane as a universal dehdyration membrane. An economic analysis confirmed the commercial viability. Phase II will involve membrane product optimization, process development, and an extended bench-scale stability test. Then, a pilot field test, using a slip stream, will be conducted to confirm the performance and material stability. Finally, a full-scale membrane module will be designed, constructed, and tested, and prepared for a full field demonstration in Phase III. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: The new composite membrane should permit widespread applications of this promising technology. Net energy savings on the order of 5 TBtu/year have been estimated