Abstract:
The present disclosure describes a process for separating at least a first gas component and a second gas component by contacting a gas stream comprising the first and second gas components with a carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membrane under aggressive gas separation conditions in which the partial pressure of the selectively sorbed gas component in the gas stream is high. Despite the high partial pressure of the sorbed gas component, the selectivity of the carbon molecular sieve membrane is not substantially reduced by plasticization or saturation. In some embodiments, the aggressive gas separation process may include contacting a gas stream at supercritical conditions with a CMS membrane to separate at least first and second gas components. The process may be useful for, among other things, the separation of CO2 from a natural gas stream.
Abstract:
The present disclosure describes a process for separating at least a first gas component and a second gas component by contacting a gas stream comprising the first and second gas components with a carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membrane under aggressive gas separation conditions in which the partial pressure of the selectively sorbed gas component in the gas stream is high. Despite the high partial pressure of the sorbed gas component, the selectivity of the carbon molecular sieve membrane is not substantially reduced by plasticization or saturation. In some embodiments, the aggressive gas separation process may include contacting a gas stream at supercritical conditions with a CMS membrane to separate at least first and second gas components. The process may be useful for, among other things, the separation of CO2 from a natural gas stream.
Abstract:
Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a process for making a carbon molecular sieve membrane having a desired permselectivity between a first gas species and a second gas species, in which the second gas species has a larger kinetic diameter than the first gas species. The process comprises providing a polymer precursor and pyrolyzing the polymer precursor at a pyrolysis temperature that is effective to selectively reduce the sorption coefficient of the second gas species, thereby increasing the permselectivity of the resulting carbon molecular sieve membrane.
Abstract:
In embodiments of the present disclosure, a CMS hollow fiber membranes may be prepared to have an ultrathin (e.g. 2 microns or less) separation layer. A precursor hollow fiber may be prepared as dual layer fibers having a thin sheath layer and a core layer. During pyrolysis, the sheath layer is transformed into an ultrathin separation layer. Porosity of the core layer substrate is well-maintained during pyrolysis, thereby enabling high permeance of the CMS hollow fiber membrane. Additionally, in some embodiments, the sheath layer of the precursor hollow fibers may be hybridized prior to pyrolysis. By hybridizing the sheath layer prior to pyrolysis, a CMS hollow fiber may having an improved separation factor, including for example increased carbon dioxide/methane selectivity, may be provided.
Abstract:
Provided herein are metal organic framework/polymer mixed-matrix hollow fiber membranes and metal organic framework/carbon molecular sieve mixed-matrix hollow fiber membranes. The materials have high MOF particle loading and are easily scalable. The MOF/polymer mixed-matrix hollow fibers are formed using a dry-jet/wet-quench fiber spinning technique and show C3H6/C3H8 selectivity that is significantly enhanced over the pure polymer fiber and that is consistent with the selectivity of mixed-matrix dense films of the same MOF/polymer combination. The MOF/CMS mixed-matrix hollow fibers are formed by pyrolyzing the MOF/polymer mixed-matrix hollow fibers and show increased C3H6 permeance and increased selectivity over the MOF/polymer mixed-matrix hollow fiber membranes.
Abstract:
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods of treating carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membranes, and in particular CMS hollow fiber membranes, that have undergone aging-induced permeance/permeability loss. By treating aged CMS membranes in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, the CMS membranes may be regenerated such that the aging-induced permeance/permeability loss is reversed and the permeance/permeability of the CMS membrane is increased. In some embodiments, the permeance/permeability of the treated CMS membrane may be increased to such a degree that the permeance/permeability of the regenerated CMS membrane is at least as high as the original permeance/permeability of the CMS membrane prior to aging-induced permeance/permeability loss.