Degassing process and apparatus for removal of oxygen

• US 4,516,984 A
• Filed: 11/08/1983
• Issued: 05/14/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emory University
• Original Assignee: Emory University
• Inventors: Warner, Isiah M., Ho, Chu-Ngi
• Primary Examiner(s): SPITZER, ROBERT H
• Application Number:
  US06/549,737
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 55/16, 55/36, 55/37, 55/158, 55/159, 55/189, 55/270, 423/219
• US Class Current: 95/46
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/00 Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols, recovery of volatile solvents by condensation B01D5/00; sublimation B01D7/00; cold traps, cold baffles B01D8/00; working-up undefined gaseous mixtures obtained by cracking hydrocarbon oils C10G70/00; cleaning coal gas C10K; working-up of natural gas, or synthetic natural gas, C10L3/10; separation of difficult-to-condense gases or air by liquefaction F25J; for investigating materials G01N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/22 by diffusion manufacturing semi-permeable membranes B01D67/00; form, structure or properties of semi-permeable membranes B01D69/00; material for semi-permeable membranes B01D71/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/229 Integrated processes (Diffusion and at least one other process, e.g. adsorption, absorption)

Abstract

A method for decreasing the oxygen content of a fluid, which comprises contacting the fluid with one side of an interface capable of passing oxygen and retarding the passage of the fluid wherein the contacting takes place in a container permeable to oxygen only through the interface and the second side of the interface is in contact with a chemically deoxygenating environment, is disclosed along with an apparatus useful for conducting the method.

Claims

1. A method for decreasing the oxygen content of a fIuid stream which comprises:

contacting said fluid with one side of a membrane capable of passing oxygen and retarding the passage of said fluid wherein said contacting takes place in a container permeable to oxygen only through said membrane and the second side of said membrane is in contact with a chemically deoxygenating environments.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said membrane is a porous membrane.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said membrane is a semipermeable membrane.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said chemically deoxygenating environment is a solution.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said container is in the form of a tube surrounded by said solution.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said tube is a semipermeable membrane.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said solution contains Cr²⁺ ions and is in contact with amalgamated zinc.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said tubing is polytetrafluoroethylene, polysilicone, polypropylene, or polyethylene tubing.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said tubing is polyethylene tubing.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said solution contains Cr²⁺ ions and is in contact with amalgamated zinc.

11. A method for decreasing the oxygen content of a fluid stream, which comprises:

contacting said fluid with one side of a membrane capable of passing oxygen and retarding the passage of said fluid wherein said contacting takes place in a container permeable to oxygen only through said membrane and the second side of said membrane is in contact with a chemically deoxgenating environment selected from the group consisting of solutions of chromus ions, mixtures of lithium aluminum hydride and benzopinacolone in pyridine, alkaline aqueous solutions of pyrogallol, Fieser'"'"'s solution, aqueous sodium dithionite solutions, benzophenone ketyl-containing organic solvents, reduced BTS catalyst, solutions of sodium sulfite, solutions of hydrazine, and solutions of vanadous sulfate.

12. A method for decreasing the oxygen content of a fluid stream, which comprises:

contacting said fluid with one side of a membrane capable of passing oxygen and retarding the passage of said fluid wherein said contacting takes place in a container permeable to oxygen only through said membrane and the second side of said membrane is in contact with a solution containing Cr²⁺ ions in contact with amalgamated zinc.

13. An apparatus for deoxygenating a fluid stream, which comprises:

a membrane capable of passing oxygen and retarding the passage of said fluid;

first containing means for maintaining said fluid in contact with one side of said membrane, said first containing means being impermeable to oxygen except through said membrane and having inlet and outlet means through which said fluid is conducted into and out of said first containing means; and

second containing means for maintaining a chemically deoxygenating environment in contact with a second side of said membrane wherein said liquid containing means contains a chemically deoxygenating environment selected from the group consisting of solutions of chromus ions, mixtures of lithium aluminum hydride and benzopinacolone in pyridine, alkaline aqueous solutions of pyrogallol, Fieser'"'"'s solutions, aqueous sodium dithionite solutions, benzophenone ketyl-containing organic solvents, reduced BTS catalyst, solutions of sodium sulfite, solutions of hydrazine, and solutions of vanadous sulfate.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said membrane is a porous membrane.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said membrane is a semipermeable membrane.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said membrane is in the form of a tube arranged to conduct said fluid through said second containing means.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said tube is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene, polysilicone, polypropylene, and polyethylene.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said tube is formed of polyethylene tubing.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said first containing means consists of said tube.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said second containing means comprises liquid containing means.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said first containing means is a tube located within a liquid containing area of said liquid containing means.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said tube includes a section of semipermeable membrane tubing.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said tubing is polyethylene tubing.