NSF Award
9461628
DMI-9461628 Higgins Vapor permeation holds much promise for becoming a highly efficient means of preventing VOC emissions that are now generated by a variety of stationary resources. Limitations of current vapor permeation (VP) processes are low selectivity and low upper temperature constraints (ca. 100 to 125 degrees centigrade) for polymeric VP membranes. In most cases, these result in the need to employ large membrane areas, multi-stage operation and the cooling of compressed air feed. Wider application of the technology would be possible if inexpensive VP modules with highly selective membranes operable at appreciably higher temperature were available. This research addresses development of such devices by use of novel zeolite-filled polymeric membranes in combination with low-cost, highly compact ceramic ultrfiltration modules as VP membrane supports. In this Phase I program, novel zeolite-filled membranes will be developed. Highselectivity of these membranes for removal of priority AVOC's from air will be demonstrated. an innovative method will be used to apply then, defect-free vapor permeation membranes tot he ceramic supports to from zeolite-polymer-ceramic composite membranes. These vapor permeation membranes will be tested at temperatures ranging from 100 to 200 degrees centigrade for removal of VOCs I synthetic gas streams at a laboratory scale. The sorption and diffusion properties of both pure zeolite and zeolite-filled membranes will be determined. In Phase II work, membrane fabrication procedure would be optimized to prepare very then membranes, larger size VP modules would be produced, and operation up to 300 degrees centigrade would be demonstrated.
