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: 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.

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 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: 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.

Abstract: A co-cast thin film composite flat sheet membrane is provided that comprises an asymmetric porous non-selective support layer with a thickness of 10-50 micrometers and an asymmetric integrally skinned polyimide-containing selective layer with a thickness of 5-40 micrometers on top of said support layer, wherein said asymmetric integrally skinned polyimide-containing selective layer comprises a porous non-selective polyimide-containing support layer with a thickness of ˜5-40 micrometers and a relatively porous, thin, dense, polyimide-containing top skin layer with a thickness of 0.02-0.2 micrometers.

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: A polyimide polymer includes one or more aromatic dianhydride monomers and one or more aromatic diamine monomers as recited herein. A method for making a flexible display device includes preparing a polyimide solution including a polyimide polymer dissolved in a solvent, coating a substrate with the polyimide solution, heating the coating to evaporate the solvent and form a polyimide layer, forming a display device layer on the polyimide layer, dicing through the display device layer and through the polyimide polymer layer, and delaminating the layer from the substrate to form the flexible display device. A flexible display device can include a polyimide polymer backing layer and a display device disposed on the polyimide polymer backing layer, the polyimide polymer including one or more aromatic dianhydride monomers and one or more aromatic diamine monomers as recited herein.

Abstract: A stable high performance facilitated transport membrane comprising an asymmetric integrally-skinned polymeric membrane wherein the pores on the relatively porous, thin, dense skin layer of the membrane comprises a hydrophilic polymer such as chitosan or sodium alginate, a metal salt such as silver nitrate, or a mixture of a metal salt such as silver nitrate and hydrogen peroxide and the asymmetric integrally-skinned polymeric membrane comprises a relatively porous, thin, dense skin layer as characterized by a CO2 permeance of at least 200 GPU and a CO2 over CH4 selectivity between 1.1 and 10 at 50° C. under 50-1000 psig, 10% CO2/90% CH4 mixed gas feed pressure. The present invention further includes a method of making these membranes and their use for olefin/paraffin separations, particularly for propylene/propane and ethylene/ethane separations.