Hollow fiber carbon molecular sieve membranes and method of manufacturing using radial-flow pyrolysis
First Claim
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1. A method for manufacturing at least one hollow fiber CMS membrane, comprising the steps of:
- heating, in a pyrolysis chamber, a polymeric membrane cartridge or a bundle of polymeric membranes, wherein;
the polymeric membrane cartridge comprises a porous center tube around which one or more green polymeric hollow fiber membranes is arranged,the polymeric membrane cartridge has a length dimension that is greater than its width, thickness, and radius dimensions,the bundle of polymeric membranes comprises a plurality of green polymeric hollow fiber membranes oriented so that first and second ends of the plurality of green polymeric hollow fiber membranes are disposed at first and second ends of the bundle,the bundle of polymeric membranes has a length dimension that is greater than its width and thickness dimensions,the porous center tube has at least one open end and apertures extending through a wall thickness of the porous center tube, andsaid heating step is performed at a temperature and time duration sufficient to pyrolyze the one or more green polymeric hollow fiber membranes; and
directing a flow of pyrolysis gas during said heating step through said polymeric membrane cartridge or said bundle of polymeric membranes in a direction perpendicular to the length direction of the polymeric membrane cartridge or said bundle of polymeric membranes, wherein performance of said heating step results in production of pyrolysis off-gases and said flow of pyrolysis gas sweeps the pyrolysis off-gases away from the one or more green polymeric hollow fiber membrane(s).
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Abstract
One or more polymeric hollow fiber membranes are pyrolyzed to form one or more hollow fiber CMS membranes by directing a flow of pyrolysis gas through a polymeric membrane cartridge (including a porous center tube around which one or more green, polymeric, hollow fiber membranes is arranged) or a bundle of polymeric membranes (including a plurality of green, polymeric hollow fiber membranes oriented so that their ends are disposed with ends of the bundle) in a direction perpendicular to a length direction of the cartridge or bundle in order to sweep away off-gases that are formed during pyrolysis.
5 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for manufacturing at least one hollow fiber CMS membrane, comprising the steps of:
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heating, in a pyrolysis chamber, a polymeric membrane cartridge or a bundle of polymeric membranes, wherein; the polymeric membrane cartridge comprises a porous center tube around which one or more green polymeric hollow fiber membranes is arranged, the polymeric membrane cartridge has a length dimension that is greater than its width, thickness, and radius dimensions, the bundle of polymeric membranes comprises a plurality of green polymeric hollow fiber membranes oriented so that first and second ends of the plurality of green polymeric hollow fiber membranes are disposed at first and second ends of the bundle, the bundle of polymeric membranes has a length dimension that is greater than its width and thickness dimensions, the porous center tube has at least one open end and apertures extending through a wall thickness of the porous center tube, and said heating step is performed at a temperature and time duration sufficient to pyrolyze the one or more green polymeric hollow fiber membranes; and directing a flow of pyrolysis gas during said heating step through said polymeric membrane cartridge or said bundle of polymeric membranes in a direction perpendicular to the length direction of the polymeric membrane cartridge or said bundle of polymeric membranes, wherein performance of said heating step results in production of pyrolysis off-gases and said flow of pyrolysis gas sweeps the pyrolysis off-gases away from the one or more green polymeric hollow fiber membrane(s). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of manufacturing a hollow fiber CMS membrane module, comprising the steps of:
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heating, in a pyrolysis chamber, a polymeric membrane cartridge, wherein; the polymeric membrane cartridge comprises a porous center tube around which one or more green polymeric hollow fiber membranes is arranged, the polymeric membrane cartridge has a length dimension that is greater than its width, thickness, and radius dimensions, the porous center tube has at least one open end and apertures extending through a wall thickness of the porous center tube, and said heating step is performed at a temperature and time duration sufficient to pyrolyze the one or more green polymeric hollow fiber membranes; and directing a flow of pyrolysis gas during said heating step through the one or more green;
polymeric hollow fiber membranes in either an outwardly radial direction from an interior of the porous center tube or in an inwardly radial direction toward the interior of the porous center tube, wherein performance of said heating step results in production of pyrolysis off-gases and said radial flow pyrolysis gas sweeps the pyrolysis off-gases away from the one or more green polymeric hollow fiber membranes;forming one or more tubesheets on a CMS membrane cartridge resulting from said steps of heating and directing; following said forming step, placing the CMS membrane cartridge inside a pressure vessel having a feed port, a permeate port, and a non-permeate port, wherein the porous center tube is in fluid communication with either the permeate port, the non-permeate port, or the feed gas port.
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Specification