The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 08, 2018
Filed:
Jan. 04, 2016
Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran, SA;
Garba Oloriegbe Yahaya, Dhahran, SA;
Ahmad A. Bahamdan, Dhahran, SA;
Mohammad S. Al-Qahtani, Dhahran, SA;
Feras Hamad, Dhahran, SA;
Ahmed Ameen, Dhahran, SA;
Abdulaziz Yousef Al-Ammar, Dammam, SA;
Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran, SA;
Abstract
Compositions of and methods for separating components of a natural gas stream are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving an inlet stream comprising natural gas, the inlet stream having an inlet pressure, and the inlet stream further comprising methane, helium, and an impurity. The method includes allowing the inlet stream to contact a block co-polyimide membrane, the block co-polyimide membrane exhibiting both higher permeability for and higher selectivity for the helium and the impurity than for the methane at the inlet pressure of the inlet stream and separating the methane from the helium and the impurity to create a retentate stream, the retentate stream comprising an increased concentration of methane relative to the inlet stream. The method also includes creating a permeate stream comprising the helium and the impurity at an increased concentration of helium and impurity relative to a concentration of helium and impurity in the inlet stream.