Abstract: This invention provides a new high selectivity stable facilitated transport membrane comprising a polyethersulfone (PES)/polyethylene oxide-polysilsesquioxane (PEO-Si) blend support membrane, a hydrophilic polymer inside the pores on the skin layer surface of the PES/PEO-Si blend support membrane; a hydrophilic polymer coated on the skin layer surface of the PES/PEO-Si blend support membrane, and metal salts incorporated in the hydrophilic polymer coating layer and the skin layer surface pores of the PES/PEO-Si blend support membrane, and methods of making such membranes. This invention also provides a method of using the high selectivity stable facilitated transport membrane comprising PES/PEO-Si blend support membrane for olefin/paraffin separations such as propylene/propane and ethylene/ethane separations.

Abstract: A process is provided for separation of light olefins and paraffins and particular for the separation of propylene and propane comprising sending at least one olefin/paraffin stream to a distillation column and a membrane unit to produce an olefin stream comprising at least 92 mol % olefin. In an embodiment of the invention where the membrane unit is placed downstream from the column which can produce propylene streams at polymer grade of over 99.5 mol % propylene.

Abstract: This invention provides a new high flux reverse osmosis (RO) membrane comprising a nanoporous polyethersulfone (PES)/polyethylene oxide-polysilsesquioxane (PEO-Si) blend support membrane (PES/PEO-Si) comprising a polyethylene oxide-polysilsesquioxane (PEO-Si) polymer and a polyethersulfone (PES) polymer, a hydrophilic polymer inside the pores on the skin layer surface of the polyethersulfone/polyethylene oxide-polysilsesquioxane blend support membrane, and a thin, nanometer layer of cross-linked polyamide on the skin layer surface of said polyethersulfone/polyethylene oxide-polysilsesquioxane blend support membrane, and a method of making such a membrane. This invention also provides a method of using the new high flux reverse osmosis membrane comprising nanoporous PES/PEO-Si blend support membrane for water purification.

Abstract: The present invention discloses high selectivity copolyimide membranes for gas, vapor, and liquid separations. Gas permeation tests on these copolyimide membranes demonstrated that they not only showed high selectivity for CO2/CH4 separation, but also showed extremely high selectivities for H2/CH4 and He/CH4 separations. These copolyimide membranes can be used for a wide range of gas, vapor, and liquid separations such as separations of CO2/CH4, He/CH4, CO2/N2, olefin/paraffin separations (e.g. propylene/propane separation), H2/CH4, He/CH4, O2/N2, iso/normal paraffins, polar molecules such as H2O, H2S, and NH3 mixtures with CH4, N2, H2. The high selectivity copolyimide membranes have UV cross-linkable sulfonyl functional groups and can be used for the preparation of UV cross-linked high selectivity copolyimide membranes with enhanced selectivities. The invention also includes blend polymer membranes comprising the high selectivity copolyimide and polyethersulfone.

Abstract: The invention discloses dual layer-coated membranes and methods for making and using these membranes. The dual layer-coated membranes have a relatively porous and substantial void-containing selective asymmetric membrane support, a first coating layer comprising a hydrogel, and a second coating layer comprising a hydrophobic fluoropolymer. The membrane support has low selectivity and high permeance. The dual layer coating improves the selectivity of the membrane support and maintains the membrane performance with time. The dual layer-coated membranes are suitable for a variety of liquid, gas, and vapor separations such as water purification, non-aqueous liquid separation such as deep desulfurization of gasoline and diesel fuels, ethanol/water separations, pervaporation dehydration of aqueous/organic mixtures, fuel gas conditioning, CO2/CH4, He/CH4, CO2/N2, H2/CH4, O2/N2, olefin/paraffin, iso/normal paraffins separations, and other light gas mixture separations.

Abstract: A process is provided of making facilitated transport membrane comprising a relatively hydrophilic, very small pore, nanoporous support membrane, a hydrophilic polymer inside the very small nanopores on the skin layer surface of the support membrane, a thin, nonporous, hydrophilic polymer layer coated on the surface of the support membrane, and metal salts incorporated in the hydrophilic polymer layer coated on the surface of the support membrane and the hydrophilic polymer inside the very small nanopores. In addition, the process provides a new method of making facilitated transport membrane spiral wound elements or hollow fiber modules for olefin/paraffin separations, particularly for C3=/C3 and C2=/C2 separations.

Abstract: The invention provides a high permeance and high selectivity facilitated transport membrane comprising a very small pore, nanoporous polyethersulfone (PES)/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) blend support membrane, a hydrophilic polymer inside the very small nanopores on the skin layer surface of the support membrane, a thin, nonporous, hydrophilic polymer layer coated on the surface of the support membrane, and metal salts incorporated in the hydrophilic polymer layer coated on the surface of the support membrane and the hydrophilic polymer inside the very small nanopores, a method of making this membrane, and the use of this membrane for olefin/paraffin separations, particularly for propylene/propane and ethylene/ethane separations.

Abstract: Combining the features of a glassy polymeric membrane and a rubbery polymeric membrane into a multiple membrane system provides a system having the advantages of both of the types of membranes. The membranes may be in any order in the system and multiple glassy polymeric membranes and multiple rubbery polymeric membranes may be used.

Abstract: A process is provided to separate a hydrocarbon stream comprising a mixture of light olefins and light paraffins, the process comprising sending the hydrocarbon stream through a pretreatment unit to remove impurities selected from the group consisting of sulfur compounds, arsine, phosphine, methyl acetylene, propadiene, and acetylene to produce a treated hydrocarbon stream; vaporizing the treated hydrocarbon stream to produce a gaseous treated hydrocarbon stream; adding liquid or vapor water to the gaseous treated hydrocarbon stream; then contacting the gaseous treated hydrocarbon stream to a membrane in a membrane system comprising one or more membrane units to produce a permeate stream comprising about 96 to 99.9 wt % light olefins and a retentate stream comprising light paraffins.

Abstract: Process for separating a highly pure propylene product from a liquefied petroleum gas stream is disclosed, which eliminates a C3 splitter having over 120 trays and the additional equipment that a C3 splitter requires. The process includes passing a feed stream to a dividing wall column to produce an overhead stream, a first side draw stream, a second side draw stream, and a product stream. The first side draw stream is passed to a treatment unit to produce a treated stream. The treated stream is passed to a membrane unit and a permeate stream is passed from the membrane unit to produce a polymer grade propylene stream.

Abstract: A multistage membrane system and a process for treating a gas stream is provided in which the multistage membrane system comprises at least two membrane units wherein a first stage membrane unit comprises a polymeric membrane and a second membrane unit comprises a microporous zeolitic inorganic membrane or a combination of a microporous zeolitic inorganic membrane and a polymeric membrane.

Abstract: A process is provided to separate a hydrocarbon stream comprising a mixture of light olefins and light paraffins, the process comprising sending the hydrocarbon stream through a pretreatment unit to remove impurities selected from the group consisting of sulfur compounds, arsine, phosphine, methyl acetylene, propadiene, and acetylene to produce a treated hydrocarbon stream; vaporizing the treated hydrocarbon stream to produce a gaseous treated hydrocarbon stream; adding liquid or vapor water to the gaseous treated hydrocarbon stream; then contacting the gaseous treated hydrocarbon stream to a membrane in a membrane system comprising one or more membrane units to produce a permeate stream comprising about 96 to 99.9 wt % light olefins and a retentate stream comprising light paraffins.

Abstract: Process for separating a highly pure propylene product from a liquefied petroleum gas stream is disclosed, which eliminates a C3 splitter having over 120 trays and the additional equipment that a C3 splitter requires. The process includes passing a feed stream to a dividing wall column to produce an overhead stream, a first side draw stream, a second side draw stream, and a product stream. The first side draw stream is passed to a treatment unit to produce a treated stream. The treated stream is passed to a membrane unit and a permeate stream is passed from the membrane unit to produce a polymer grade propylene stream.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a combined C3/C4 splitter with a membrane system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a combined C3/C4 splitter column to separate highly pure propylene product from a liquefied petroleum gas stream, which eliminates a C3 splitter having over 120 trays and the additional equipment that a C3 splitter requires.

Abstract: A high performance facilitated transport membrane comprising a metal cation exchanged/chelated carboxylic acid functional group containing functional polyimide, a method of making this a membrane, and the use of this membrane for olefin/paraffin separations, particularly for propylene/propane and ethylene/ethane separations. The facilitated transport membrane has either an asymmetric integrally skinned membrane structure or a thin film composite membrane structure, wherein the top selective layer of the membrane comprises a metal cation exchanged/chelated carboxylic acid functional group containing functional polyimide.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a combined C3/C4 splitter with a membrane system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a combined C3/C4 splitter column to separate highly pure propylene product from a liquefied petroleum gas stream, which eliminates a C3 splitter having over 120 trays and the additional equipment that a C3 splitter requires.

Abstract: This invention provides a new facilitated transport membrane comprising a relatively hydrophilic, very small pore, nanoporous support membrane, a hydrophilic polymer inside the very small nanopores on the skin layer surface of the support membrane, a thin, nonporous, hydrophilic polymer layer coated on the surface of the support membrane, and metal salts incorporated in the hydrophilic polymer layer coated on the surface of the support membrane and the hydrophilic polymer inside the very small nanopores, a method of making this membrane, and the use of this membrane for olefin/paraffin separations, particularly for C3=/C3 and C2=/C2 separations.

Abstract: This invention pertains to high selectivity poly(imide-urethane) membrane and a method of making the same. This invention also pertains to applications of the high selectivity poly(imide-urethane) membranes not only for a variety of gas separations such as separations of carbon dioxide/methane, hydrogen/methane, helium/methane, oxygen/nitrogen, carbon dioxide/nitrogen, olefin/paraffin, iso/normal paraffins, xylenes, polar molecules such as water, hydrogen sulfide and ammonia/mixtures with methane, nitrogen, or hydrogen and other light gases separations, but also for liquid separations such as pervaporation and desalination.

Abstract: This invention discloses a membrane composition, a method of making, and applications for a new type of high selectivity, high plasticization-resistant and solvent-resistant, both chemically and UV cross-linked polyimide membranes. Gas permeation tests on these membranes demonstrated that they not only showed high selectivities, but also showed extremely high CO2 plasticization resistance under CO2 pressure up to 4923 kPa (700 psig). This new type of high selectivity, high plasticization-resistant and solvent-resistant, both chemically and UV cross-linked polyimide membranes can be used for a wide range of gas separations such as separations of H2/CH4, He/CH4, CO2/CH4, CO2/N2, olefin/paraffin separations (e.g. propylene/propane separation), O2/N2, iso/normal paraffins, polar molecules such as H2O, H2S, and NH3 mixtures with CH4, N2, H2, and other light gases separations. The membranes can also be used for liquid separations such as in the removal of organic compounds from water.

Abstract: A membrane process is provided for separating light olefins from light paraffins to produce a polymer grade light olefin product stream that is about 99.5 mol % ethylene or propylene. The process involves multiple stages to achieve the high purity product and provides for processing hydrocarbon streams that have differing concentrations of light olefins.