SBIR Phase I: Novel Superglassy Polymer Membranes for Hydrocarbon Separation

* 9661545 Pinnau 该项目致力于开发基于超玻璃态聚合物的新型气体分离膜。超玻璃态聚合物的特征在于高玻璃化转变温度、高自由体积、大分子间链间距、自由体积元素的连通性、极高的烃渗透性和高烃/永久气体选择性。最近发现，聚（1-三甲基甲硅烷基-1-丙炔）PTMSP（迄今为止研究的唯一超玻璃态聚合物）可以显示出对e-丁烷的混合气体选择性超过甲烷30，这是对这种重要混合物观察到的最高选择性。然而，PTMSP膜的潜在用途受到限制，因为其对高级烃和芳烃的耐化学性差。该项目的目标是开发新的，耐化学腐蚀的超玻璃态聚合物膜的基础上二取代聚乙炔。初步的纯气体渗透研究表明，这样的聚合物的渗透性和选择性的e-丁烷/甲烷混合物的分离低于PTMSP，但足够高，是有前途的。与PTMSP不同，该聚合物在脂肪族和芳香族烃环境中完全稳定。据信，通过适当的结构改性可以增加聚合物的渗透性和选择性。 由超玻璃态聚合物制成的膜对许多重要的工业蒸汽分离具有重要的影响。 可能的应用包括在石化工业中从氢气中回收C3+烃。 超玻璃态聚合物相对于现有技术橡胶膜的上级选择性和渗透性应使膜系统在这些或其它应用中与常规分离方法如低温分离竞争。 ***

*** 9661545 Pinnau This project addresses the development of a new class of gas separation membranes based on superglassy polymers. Superglassy polymers are characterized by high glass transition temperatures, high free volume, large intermolecular chain spacing, connectivity of free volume elements, extremely high hydrocarbon permeability and high hydrocarbon/permanent-gas selectivity. it was recently discovered that poly(1-trimethylsilyl-1-propyne) PTMSP , the only superglassy polymer studied to date, can show a mixed-gas selectivity of 30 for e-butane over methane, the highest selectivity ever observed for this important mixture. However, the potential use of PTMSP membranes is limited because its chemical resistance to higher hydrocarbons and aromatic hydrocarbons is poor. The project goal is to develop novel, chemically resistant superglassy polymer membranes based on disubstituted polyacetylenes. Preliminary pure-gas permeation studies with one such polymer show that its permeability and selectivity for the e-butane/methane mixtures separation are lower than those of PTMSP, but high enough to be promising. Unlike PTMSP, the polymer is completely stable in an aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon environment. It is believed that the permeability and selectivity of the polymer can be increased by proper structural modifications. Membranes make from superglassy polymers could have a significant impact on many important industrial vapor separations. Possible applications include recovery of C3+ hydrocarbons from hydrogen in the petrochemical industry. The superior selectivity and permeability of superglassy polymers relative to state-of-the-art rubbery membranes should make membrane systems competitive with conventional separation methods such as cryogenic separation in these or other applications. ***