Thin-film composite membrane and processes for the separation of alkenes from a gaseous feed mixture
First Claim
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1. A thin-film composite membrane comprising:
- a) a porous-layer support; and
b) a gas-separation layer comprising an ionomer comprising silver-sulfonate groups;
said gas-separation layer is coplanar in direct contact to said porous-layer support, and predominantly laminar; and
wherein the gas-separation layer is formed from an ionomer solution that is substantially free of dissolved ionic species not associated with the ionomer and a mean helium permeability of the thin-film composite membrane is less than two times greater than an intrinsic helium permeability of the gas-separation layer.
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Abstract
This invention discloses an improved thin-film composite membrane and processes that use the membrane for the separation of gaseous mixtures that include an alkene. The membrane is particularly useful for separation of alkenes from alkanes or the separation of alkenes from other non-hydrocarbon gases. The membrane has a more mechanically durable and defect-free gas-separation layer that is fabricated from an ionomer solution that is substantially free of dissolved ionic species not associated with the ionomer and the mean helium permeability of the thin-film composite membrane is less than two times greater than the intrinsic helium permeability of the gas-separation layer.
10 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A thin-film composite membrane comprising:
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a) a porous-layer support; and b) a gas-separation layer comprising an ionomer comprising silver-sulfonate groups;
said gas-separation layer is coplanar in direct contact to said porous-layer support, and predominantly laminar; andwherein the gas-separation layer is formed from an ionomer solution that is substantially free of dissolved ionic species not associated with the ionomer and a mean helium permeability of the thin-film composite membrane is less than two times greater than an intrinsic helium permeability of the gas-separation layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of constructing a thin-film composite membrane comprising:
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providing a porous-layer support and an ionomer solution comprising a solvent and sulfonate groups, selected from;
silver sulfonate, sulfonic acid, or non-silver sulfonate;contacting the porous-layer support with said ionomer solution comprising sulfonate groups; and removal of the solvent contained in the ionomer solution to form a gas-separation layer that is coplanar and in direct contact to said porous-layer support; and treatment of the gas-separation layer comprising sulfonic acid or non-silver sulfonate groups with a solution comprising water and at least one dissolved silver compound to convert at least some of the sulfonic acid or non-silver sulfonate groups to silver sulfonate groups; and wherein the gas-separation layer is formed from said ionomer solution that is substantially free of dissolved ionic species not associated with an ionomer in the ionomer solution and a mean helium permeability of the thin-film composite membrane is less than two times greater than an intrinsic helium permeability of the gas-separation layer. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification