Process and device for the separation of an unsaturated hydrocarbon from a fluid mixture with other hydrocarbons

• US 5,498,339 A
• Filed: 07/15/1994
• Issued: 03/12/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno, Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschapplijk Onderzoek Tno, Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegpast-Natuurwetenschapplijk Onderzoek Tno
• Original Assignee: DSM B.V., Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelljk Onderzoek Tno
• Inventors: Hendriks, Everardus C. A., Creusen, Raimond J. M., Hanemaaijer, Jan H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dawson, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, KENNETH MITCHELL
• Application Number:
  US08/276,673
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 210/650, 210/651, 210/774, 210/805, 210/806, 210/644, 210/749, 210/765, 95/50, 95/288
• US Class Current: 210/644
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1443 Pretreatment by diffusion
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/229 Integrated processes (Diffusion and at least one other process, e.g. adsorption, absorption)
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/38 Liquid-membrane separation
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 7/144 using membranes, e.g. selective permeation

Abstract

A fluid mixture from which an unsaturated hydrocarbon has to be separated, is passed in the first stage at superatmospheric pressure to one side of a first semiselective gas separation membrane with a non-porous active layer, and a liquid complexing agent is passed along the other side of said first membrane, where said unsaturated hydrocarbon is bound through complexation in the interface of membrane and complexing agent. In the second stage said unsaturated hydrocarbon is dissociated from the complexing agent through temperature increase, the mixture of complexing agent and dissociated unsaturated preferably is passed at superatmospheric pressure to one side of a second semiselective membrane with a non-porous active layer and the unsaturated hydrocarbon migrates to the other side of the membrane and is discharged. Finally, the complexing agent is recycled.

Claims

1. A process for the separation of at least one specific unsaturated hydrocarbon from a fluid mixture with other hydrocarbons which comprises:

a first stage comprising (i) passing the fluid mixture containing said unsaturated hydrocarbon at superatmospheric pressure to one side of a first semiselective gas separation membrane with a non-porous active layer which is permeable to unsaturated hydrocarbons, and (ii) passing a stream comprising a liquid complexing agent on the other side of said first semiselective gas separation membrane, whereby the unsaturated hydrocarbon migrates through said first semiselective gas separation membrane with said non-porous active layer to the liquid, wherein said at least one specific unsaturated hydrocarbon is bound through complexation in the interface of the membrane and said liquid complexing agent; and

a second stage which comprises (i) separating and removing the unsaturated hydrocarbon from the complexing agent, wherein in the second stage said unsaturated hydrocarbon is dissociated from the complexing agent by increasing the temperature, and (ii) the complexing agent is recycled.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein the mixture of complexing agent and dissociated unsaturated hydrocarbon is passed at superatmospheric pressure to one side of a second semiselective membrane with a non-porous, but permeable active layer and in that the unsaturated hydrocarbon migrates to the other side of the membrane and is discharged.

3. A process according to claim 1, wherein the complexing agent comprises a salt of silver or copper.

4. A process according to claim 1, wherein the membranes used in the first stage are hollow fibre membranes.

5. A process according to claim 1, wherein the active layer of the membranes is made of an elastomeric material, such as PDMS or EPDM.

6. A device for separating at least one specific unsaturated hydrocarbon from a fluid mixture containing other hydrocarbons which comprises:

a first system of semiselective gas separation membranes comprising a non-porous but permeable active layer, means for supplying a fluid mixture at super-atmospheric pressure to one side of the membranes, means for supplying a stream comprising a liquid complexing agent to the other side of the membranes, means for heating the complexing agent with bound unsaturated hydrocarbon which has flowed along the other side of the membrane, means for separating the at least one specific unsaturated hydrocarbon from the complexing agent and means for recycling the complexing agent.

7. A device according to claim 6, further comprising a second system of semiselective gas separation membranes comprising a non-porous active layer, means for passing at superatmospheric pressure, the heated complexing agent and the component dissociated from it along one side of the membranes of the second system, and means for removing the component that has migrated through said membranes of the second system.