Separation process using a polyimide membrane

• US 8,912,288 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2011
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: UOP Llc (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: UOP Llc (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Liu, Chunqing, Bowen, Travis C., Harbert, Emily G., Minkov, Raisa, Faheem, Syed A., Osman, Zara
• Primary Examiner(s): Fang, Shane
• Application Number:
  US13/278,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20120322119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 528/310, 502/4, 525/432, 525/436
• US Class Current: 525/310
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/70 Web, sheet or filament bases ; Films; Fibres of the matrix type containing drug hollow drug-filled fibres A61K9/0092
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2323/30 Cross-linking
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2323/345 UV-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/228 characterised by specific membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/025 Reverse osmosis; Hyperfiltration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/362 Pervaporation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 67/00931 by introduction of specific groups after membrane formation, e.g. by grafting
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/08 Hollow fibre membranes manufacture of hollow fibres D01D5/24, D01F1/08
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 71/64 Polyimides; Polyamide-imides; Polyester-imides; Polyamide acids or similar polyimide precursors
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 71/68 Polysulfones; Polyethersulfones
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/441 by reverse osmosis
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/448 by pervaporation
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 11/02 Alkenes
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 11/06 Propene
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 11/09 Isobutene
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 17/38 Separation; Purification; Stabilisation; Use of additives
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 19/04 Chloroform
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 7/144 using membranes, e.g. selective permeation
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 9/04 Methane production by treatment of sewage C02F11/04; natural gas, synthetic natural gas C10L3/06
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 1/14 Extraction; Separation; Purification
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/1044 : Heavy gasoline or naphtha having a boiling range of about 100 - 180 °C
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 31/11 : by dialysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 : Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/151 : Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions, e.g. CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/50 : Improvements relating to the production of bulk chemicals

Abstract

The present invention discloses a new type of polyimide membrane with high permeances and high selectivities for gas separations and particularly for CO₂/CH₄ and H₂/CH₄ separations. The polyimide membranes have CO₂ permeability of 50 Barrers or higher and single-gas selectivity for CO₂/CH₄ of 15 or higher at 50° C. under 791 kPa for CO₂/CH₄ separation. The polyimide membranes have UV cross-linkable functional groups and can be used for the preparation of UV cross-linked polyimide membranes having CO₂ permeability of 20 Barrers or higher and single-gas selectivity for CO₂/CH₄ of 35 or higher at 50° C. under 791 kPa for CO₂/CH₄ separation.

Claims

1. A separation process for separating two or more substances using a polyimide membrane comprising a plurality of repeating units having a formula (I), wherein formula (I) is represented by:

2. The process of claim 1 wherein said separation process separates one or more organic compounds from water.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein said organic compounds are selected from the group consisting of alcohols, phenols, chlorinated hydrocarbons, pyridines, and ketones.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein said separation process separates ethanol from water.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein said separation process is a pervaporation process to remove sulfur from gasoline or diesel fuels.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein said separation process removes sulfur-containing molecules from naphtha hydrocarbon streams.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein said separation process separates at least a first organic compound from a second organic compound.

8. The process of claim 7 wherein said first organic compound and said second organic compound are selected from the group consisting of ethylacetate-ethanol, diethylether-ethanol, acetic acid-ethanol, benzene-ethanol, chloroform-ethanol, chloroform-methanol, acetone-isopropylether, allylalcohol-allylether, allylalcohol-cyclohexane, butanol-butylacetate, butanol-1-butylether, ethanol-ethylbutylether, propylacetate-propanol, isopropylether-isopropanol, methanol-ethanol-isopropanol, and ethylacetate-ethanol-acetic acid.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein said separation process is a desalination of water by reverse osmosis.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein said separation process is a separation of proteins.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein said separation process removes microorganisms from air or water streams.

12. The process of claim 1 wherein said separation process is used to transport gases into a reaction vessel in a fermenter or a bioreactor and to transfer cell media out of said reaction vessel.

13. The process of claim 1 wherein said Y is a mixture of

14. The process of claim 1 wherein said Y is