L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme a Directoire Et Conseil De Surveillance Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude

L'air Liquide, S.a.

E.i. Dupont De Nemours and Company

L'air Liquide, Soci&#xe9;t&#xe9; Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Proc&#xe9;d&#xe9;s Georges Claude

L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des

L'air Liquides, Sa

John Warren Simmons

Okan Max Ekiner

Ian C Roman

Samuel David Arthur

Sudhir S Kulkarni

Timothy D Krizan

This abstract discusses membranes needed to separate fluids for the production of oxygen-enriched air, nitrogen-enriched-air, for the separation of carbon dioxide from hydrocarbons, and the separation of hydrogen from various petrochemical and oil refining streams. Membranes are needed that provide a resistance to interaction with process components or contaminants, provide the mechanical strength required to withstand high membrane differential pressures and high process temperatures, and exhibit sufficient maximum strain such that membranes are not brittle and can easily be formed into desirable membrane forms. Membranes of polyimide polymers, particularly polyimide polymers sold under the trade name P-84, are annealed in a controlled annealing step to improve the mechanical properties of the polymers used to make separation membranes. The resulting annealed polyimide polymer is used to produce various forms of high strength, chemically resistant membranes, including hollow-fiber membranes that are suitable for high pressure, high temperature applications.

Separation membrane by controlled annealing of polyimide polymers

A process for the separation or concentration of olefinic hydrocarbons from mixtures of olefinic and paraffinic hydrocarbons uses a polyimide membrane, The process is well suited to separating propylene from propylene/propane mixtures. The novel method the membrane exhibits good resistance to plasticization by hydrocarbon components in the gas mixture under practical industrial process conditions.

Method of separating olefins from mixtures with paraffins

Membranes are used to separate fluids for the production of oxygen-enriched air, nitrogen-enriched-air, for the separation of carbon dioxide from hydrocarbons, and the separation of hydrogen from various petrochemical and oil refining streams. Membranes are discussed that provide a resistance to interaction with process components or contaminants, which can lead to plasticizing of the membrane, while providing the mechanical strength required to withstand high membrane differential pressures and high process temperatures. Membranes of blended polymers are used to improve the mechanical strength of the polymers used to make separation membranes. Specifically, polyimide polymers are combined with a blend polymer that is a polyamide and/or a polyamide-imde polymer. The resulting polymer mix is used to produce various forms of high strength, chemically resistant membranes, including hollow-fiber membranes that are suitable for high pressure, high temperature applications.

Separation membrane made from blends of polyimide with polyamide or polyimide-amide polymers

A process for the separation or concentration of olefinic hydrocarbons from mixtures of olefinic and paraffinic hydrocarbons uses a polyimide membrane. The process is well suited to separating propylene from propylene/propane mixtures. The novel method The membrane exhibits good resistance to plasticization by hydrocarbon components in the gas mixture under practical industrial process conditions.

A method of separating or concentrating hydrocarbon-containing gas mixtures such as hydrogen from hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide from hydrocarbons, nitrogen from hydrocarbons, and hydrocarbons from one another using a selectively permeable membrane. The method is well suited to separate hydrocarbon-containing mixtures such as those generated by petroleum refining industries, petrochemical industries, natural gas processing, and the like. The membranes exhibit extremely good resistance to plasticization by hydrocarbon components in the gas mixture under practical industrial process conditions.

Method for separating hydrocarbon-containing gas mixtures using hydrocarbon-resistant membranes

The present invention provides a selectively gas permeable membrane that has a superior combination of permeability and selectivity. The membrane composition includes a Type 1 copolyimide uniformly blended with a Type 2 copolyimide, which polymers are defined by chemical structure more specifically in this disclosure. The invention also provides a method of using the membrane of the copolyimide blend to separate components of gas mixtures.

Polyimide blends for gas separation membranes

Gas separation membranes formed from polyester-polyether block copolymers which are useful for separating gases from gas mixtures. The membranes and processes are especially suited for separating polar gases from mixtures that contain polar and non-polar species. The novel membranes exhibit good permeability and permselectivity as well as durability, making them well suited for industrial applications such as removal of acid gases from natural gas and removal of carbon dioxide from synthesis gas.

Block polyester-ether gas separation membranes

Gas separation membranes formed from polyether-urethane or polyether-urea block copolymers are useful for separating gases from gas mixtures. The membranes and processes are especially suited for separating polar gases from mixtures that contain polar and non-polar species. The novel membranes exhibit good permeability and permselectivity, as well as durability, making them well suited for industrial applications such as removal of acid gases from natural gas and removal of carbon dioxide from synthesis gas.

Block polyurethane-ether and polyurea-ether gas separation membranes

A gas separation membrane is formed from a copolyimide produced by copolymerization of monomers which include o-tolidine sulfone, at least one other hydrophilic diamine and 2,2-bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenyl)hexafluoropropane dianhydride. One or more additional aromatic dianhydrides can optionally be included. The novel membrane exhibits an excellent combination of high selectivity of gases to be separated from a gas mixture, high permeability and strong solvent resistance to hydrocarbon chemicals. The membrane is therefore useful in separating gases from gas mixtures in which vapor or liquid hydrocarbon contaminants are present, for example in the separation of carbon dioxide from methane and/or nitrogen in the purification of natural gas.

Copolyimide gas separation membranes

Useful gas separation membranes made from aromatic polyimides which comprise pendant nitro groups incorporated onto the phenyl backbone of the polymer. These polymers may be synthesized by the aryl nitration of the unsubstituted polyimides, or from the condensation reaction of aromatic diamines containing pendant nitro groups with aromatic dianhydrides, and are particularly useful in air separation.

Nitrated polyimide gas separation membranes

Novel aromatic polyetherketone gas separation membranes and the process of using such membranes to separate one or more gases from a gaseous mixture are disclosed. The polyetherketones are formed from 2,6-dihalobenzophenone, preferably 2,6-difluorobenzophenone.

Aromatic polyetherketone gas separation membranes

Novel substituted aromatic polyetherketone gas separation membranes and the process of using such membranes to separate one or more gases from a gaseous mixture is disclosed. The polyetherketones are formed from aromatic alcohols of the formula ##STR1## where Z is independently alkyl groups having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, most preferably a tertiary butyl group, n is an integer from 1 to 4, preferably 1.

Novel alkyl-substituted aromatic polyethersulfone gas separation membranes and the process of using such membranes to separate one or more gases from a gaseous mixture is disclosed. The polyethersulfones are formed from aromatic alcohols of the formula ##STR1## where Z is independently alkyl groups having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, most preferably a tertiary butyl group, n is an integer from 1 to 4, preferably 1.

Aromatic polyethersulfone gas separation membranes

Novel alkyl-substituted aromatic polyester gas separation membranes and the process of using such membranes to separate one or more gases from a gaseous mixture is disclosed. The polyesters are formed from aromatic alcohols of the formula ##STR1## where Z is independently alkyl groups having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, most preferably a tertiary butyl group, n is an integer from 0 to 4, preferably 1.

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Wilmington, DE, United States of America

John Warren Simmons