SBIR Phase II: Novel Facilitated Transport Membranes for Olefin Separations

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目的重点是烯烃/石蜡分离。在美国，乙烯和丙烯的产量比其他任何有机化学品都要大。目前，烯烃/石蜡的分离是通过蒸馏完成的，由于它们的相对挥发性低，这是一个非常耗能的过程。聚合物膜的选择性对这些分离是不够的，但便利运输膜的选择性更高。然而，膜不稳定性、低气体通量和所需的水饱和饲料限制了它们的工业应用。为了克服这些问题，一种新型的易转运膜正在被开发出来。该膜具有高气体通量，与传统的促进运输膜相比，显著提高了烯烃/石蜡的选择性，在干料条件下运行，并且稳定数周。该项目的商业应用将是显著降低工业烯烃/石蜡分离成本和能耗的膜。其他应用包括聚乙烯/聚丙烯、异丙醇、丙烯和丙烯腈装置的副产品/排气流。随后的应用是从催化裂化装置废气和大型工艺（丙烷脱氢和蒸汽裂解）中回收丙烯。

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. 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).