Method Of Separating A Gas Using at Least One Membrane In Contact With An Organosilicon Fluid

• US 20150190747A1
• Filed: 09/25/2013
• Published: 07/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dow Silicones Corporation (Dow, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dow Corning Corporation (Dow, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ahn, Dongchan, Greiner, Aaron, Hrabal, James, Lichtor, Alexandra
• Granted Patent: US 9,731,245 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 19/0073 by a method not covered by groups B01D19/0005 - B01D19/0042
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2252/204 Amines
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2252/205 Other organic compounds not covered by B01D2252/00 - B01D2252/20494
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2256/10 Nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2256/245 Methane
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/102 Nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/104 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/504 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/80 Water
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2325/027 Nonporous membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1425 Regeneration of liquid absorbents
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1443 Pretreatment by diffusion
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1475 Removing carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1493 Selection of liquid materials for use as absorbents
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/18 Absorbing units; Liquid distributors therefor B01D3/16, B01D3/26, B01D3/30 take precedence; packing elements B01J19/30, B01J19/32
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/228 characterised by specific membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/229 Integrated processes (Diffusion and at least one other process, e.g. adsorption, absorption)
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/263 by absorption
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/268 by diffusion
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/02 Hollow fibre modules
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/04 : Tubular membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/10 : Supported membranes; Membrane supports
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 71/701 : Polydimethylsiloxane
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 : of CO2

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of removing a gas from a mixture. The method includes contacting a silicone membrane with a feed mixture including at least a first gas component and contacting a second side of the membrane with an organosilicon sweep liquid, producing a retentate mixture depleted in the first gas component and an organosilicon sweep liquid enriched in the first gas component. The invention also provides methods of removing a gas from a liquid, and methods of regenerating and recycling an organosilicon sweep liquid.

Claims

1. A method of removing a gas from a mixture, the method comprising:

contacting a first side of a first dense silicone membrane with a feed mixture comprising a first gas component and at least one of a second gas component and a first liquid component; and

contacting a second side of the membrane with a sweep liquid comprising an organosilicon fluid to produce a permeate mixture on the second side of the membrane and a retentate mixture on the first side of the membrane, wherein the permeate mixture is enriched in the first gas component, and the retentate mixture is depleted in the first gas component.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first dense silicone membrane is a nonporous silicone membrane.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first dense silicone membrane has a thickness of about 2-300 μ

m.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first dense silicone membrane is a free-standing membrane.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first dense silicone membrane is a hollow fiber membrane module comprising a bundle of hollow fibers, wherein the fibers collectively have a bore side and a shell side, wherein at least one of

the first side of the hollow fiber membrane is the bore side and the second side of the hollow fiber membrane is the shell side, and

the first side of the hollow fiber membrane is the shell side and the second side of the hollow fiber membrane is the bore side.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the organosilicon fluid comprises at least one of an organosilicon comprising at least one of a hydroxy group, an ether group, an acrylate group, a methacrylate group, an acrylamide group, a methacrylamide group, and a polyether group.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the organosilicon fluid comprises at least one of an organosiloxane and an organosilane.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the organosilicon fluid comprises at least one at least one silicon-bonded hydroxy group, at least one silicon-bonded ether, at least one silicon-bonded polyether, or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the silicon-bonded hydroxy group, silicon-bonded ether, or at least one silicon-bonded polyether is bonded to a non-terminal-silicon.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the feed gas mixture comprises carbon dioxide and at least one of nitrogen and methane and the permeate gas mixture is enriched in carbon dioxide.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the feed gas mixture comprises water vapor and the permeate gas mixture is enriched in water vapor.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising drying the first permeate mixture and recirculating the dried first permeate mixture into contact with the second side of the first dense silicone membrane.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein drying the first permeate mixture comprises contacting a first side of a second dense silicone membrane with the first permeate mixture and contacting a second side of the second dense silicone membrane with a dry sweep gas.

14. A method of removing a gas from a liquid, the method comprising:

contacting a first side of a first dense silicone membrane with a gaseous stream; and

contacting a second side of the membrane with a liquid comprising an organosilicon fluid comprising a first gas component to produce a gaseous permeate mixture on the first side of the membrane and a retentate organosilicon fluid on the second side of the membrane, wherein the permeate mixture is enriched in the first gas component, and the retentate organosilicon fluid is depleted in the first gas component.

15. A method of removing a gas from a mixture, the method comprising:

contacting a first side of a first dense silicone membrane with a feed mixture comprising a first gas component and at least one of a second gas component or a first liquid component,

contacting a second side of the first membrane with a sweep liquid comprising an organosilicon fluid to produce a first permeate mixture on the second side of the first membrane and a first retentate mixture on the first side of the first membrane, wherein the first permeate mixture is enriched in the first gas component, and the first retentate mixture is depleted in the first gas component;

contacting a first side of a second dense silicone membrane with a gaseous stream;

contacting a second side of the second membrane with the first permeate mixture to produce a second permeate mixture on the first side of the second membrane and a second retentate on the second side of the membrane, wherein the second permeate mixture is enriched in the first gas component, and the second retentate is depleted in the first gas component; and

reperforming the contactings of the first and second side of the first membrane using at least some of the second retentate as at least part of the sweep liquid.