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.

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 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: 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: A catalytic reactor and membrane separation process is described in which a hydrocarbon feed comprising at least one alkane or alkylaromatic is at least one of dehydrogenated, dehydrocyclized, or dehydrocyclodimerized in first and second reactors. The reaction mixtures are separated in first and second membrane separation zones using first and second small pore microporous inorganic non-metallic membrane with a pore size of less than or equal to 4 ? at a temperature of greater than 500° C. The membrane separation zones are separate from the reactors.

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: 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 super high permeance and high selectivity dual layer rubbery polymeric membrane comprising a thin selective layer of a fumed silica reinforced, cross-linked polyorganosiloxane on top of a porous glassy polymer support membrane and a thin selective layer of a chemically cross-linked polyorganosiloxane rubbery polymer on top of the thin selective layer of a fumed silica reinforced, cross-linked polyorganosiloxane, and a porous glassy polymer support membrane that is formed from a glassy polymer and the processes of making these membranes and using these membranes in separating mixtures of two or more gases or liquids.

Abstract: A novel chemically cross-linked rubbery polymeric thin film composite (TFC) membrane comprising a selective layer of a chemically cross-linked rubbery polymer supported by a porous support membrane formed from a glassy polymer has been developed. The chemically cross-linked rubbery polymeric thin film composite (TFC) membrane comprising a selective layer of a chemically cross-linked rubbery polymer supported by a porous support membrane formed from a glassy polymer may be used to separate at least one component from another.

Abstract: A novel high flux, cross-linked, fumed silica reinforced polyorganosiloxane thin film composite (TFC) membrane comprising a selective layer of a high flux, cross-linked, fumed silica reinforced polyorganosiloxane polymer supported by a porous support membrane formed from a glassy polymer has been developed. The novel high flux, cross-linked, fumed silica reinforced polyorganosiloxane thin film composite (TFC) membrane may be used to separate at least one component from another.

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.

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: 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 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.