NSF Award
0110193
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project focuses on olefin/paraffin separations. In the USA, ethylene and propylene are produced in larger quantities than any other organic chemical. Currently, olefin/paraffin separation is done by distillation, an extremely energy-intensive process because of their low relative volatility. Selectivities of polymeric membranes are inadequate for these separations, but selectivities of facilitated transport membranes are higher. However, membrane instability, low gas fluxes, and a required water-saturated feed limit their industrial application. To overcome these problems a new type of facilitated transport membrane is being developed. The membrane has high gas fluxes, dramatically improved olefin/paraffin selectivities over conventional facilitated transport membranes, operates with a dry feed, and is stable for several weeks. <br/><br/>The commercial applications from this project will be membranes that will significantly lower cost and energy consumption of industrial olefin/paraffin separations. Other applications include by product/vent gas streams in polyethylene/polypropylene, cumene, isopropanol and acrylonitrile plants. Subsequent applications are propylene recovery from FCCU off-gas and from large processes (propane dehydrogenation and steam crackers).
