SBIR Phase II: Separation of Light Hydrocarbon Mixtures by Pervaporation

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目的重点是通过膜渗透蒸发分离轻质烃混合物，特别是丙烯/丙烷混合物。 初步分析表明，使用基于这些材料的分离系统从反应器吹扫气流中回收丙烯在经济上具有吸引力。 这些清洗流是大量的-全世界存在超过400个这种类型的流-但是太小而不能通过蒸馏处理。 尽管如此，所涉及的丙烯的量是相当大的。 据估计，仅在美国就有6.85亿磅丙烯可从反应器吹扫流中回收。 在二期工程中，将对目前最好的膜进行优化、放大并制成实验室规模的膜组件。该项目涉及丙烯/丙烷混合物的分离，并有可能应用于许多其他混合物的分离。 所提出的膜渗透蒸发工艺解决了市场需求-从含丙烷的废气流中经济地回收丙烯（一种有价值的化学原料），这是替代技术不能满足的。

This Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase II project focuses on the separation of light hydrocarbon mixtures-specifically, propylene/propane mixtures-by membrane pervaporation. A preliminary analysis indicated that the recovery of propylene from reactor purge gas streams using separation systems based on these materials is economically attractive. These purge streams are numerous-more than 400 streams of this type exist worldwide - but too small to be treated by distillation. Nonetheless, the amount of propylene involved is substantial. An estimated 685 million pounds of propylene are recoverable from reactor purge streams in the United States alone. In the Phase II project, the current best membrane will be optimized, scaled up and formed into bench-scale membrane modules.This project involves the separation of propylene/propane mixtures; application to the separation of many other mixtures is possible. The proposed membrane pervaporation process addresses a market need - the economical recovery of propylene, a valuable chemical feedstock, from propane-containing waste gas streams that cannot be satisfied by alternative technologies.