Method and apparatus for separating one or more components from a composition

• US 9,833,737 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2015
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• 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 J., Hrabal, James S., Lichtor, Alexandra N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Greene, Jason M
• Application Number:
  US14/873,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20160023158A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• 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 methods of separating one or more components from a feed composition, methods of desorbing one or more components from an absorbent fluid, as well as systems and apparatus that can carry out the methods. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of separating one or more components from a feed composition including contacting at least some of a first component of a feed composition including the first component with an absorbent fluid, to provide a contacted composition and a used absorbent fluid including at least some of the first component contacted with the absorbent fluid. In some embodiments the absorbent fluid can be an organosilicon fluid including an organosilicon including 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. In some embodiments, during the contacting the feed composition can be contacted to a first side of a membrane while the absorbent fluid is contacted to a second side of the membrane. In some embodiments, the membrane can be a silicone membrane.

Claims

1. A method of separating one or more components from a feed composition, the method comprising:

contacting at least some of a first component of a feed composition comprising the first component with an absorbent fluid comprising an organosilicon fluid comprising an organopolysiloxane compound, wherein the organopolysiloxane compound comprises a trisiloxane, tetrasiloxane, or pentasiloxane comprising a polyether group, wherein the polyether group in the trisiloxane, tetrasiloxane, or pentasiloxane is terminated by hydroxyl, acetoxy, or alkoxy,

to provide a contacted composition and a used absorbent fluid comprising at least some of the first component contacted with the absorbent fluid.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the feed composition comprises a second component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the contacting of the first component of the feed composition with the absorbent fluid comprises contacting a first side of a membrane with the feed composition while contacting a second side of the membrane with the absorbent fluid to produce a permeate mixture on the second side of the membrane comprising the used absorbent fluid and a retentate mixture on the first side of the membrane comprising the contacted composition.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the contacting of the first component of the feed composition with the absorbent fluid comprises contacting the feed composition with the absorbent fluid.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the contacting of the first component of the feed composition with the absorbent fluid comprises contacting in a packed bed column or tower, a trayed tower column or tower, a distillation column or tower, a liquid spray column or tower, a rotating desiccant wheel or tray, a falling film device, across a polymeric or inorganic membrane, or any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising regenerating at least part of the used absorbent fluid, comprising removing at least some of the first component from the used absorbent fluid to provide a regenerated absorbent fluid.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising using the regenerated absorbent fluid as at least a part of the absorbent fluid in the method.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the organosilicon compound comprises 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 1, wherein the absorbent fluid further comprises an alcohol, a diol, a polyol, a solvent, a salt, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first component comprises at least one of water, carbon dioxide, and oxygen.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the feed composition comprises nitrogen, natural gas, air, or any combination thereof.

12. A method of separating one or more components from a composition, the method comprising:

contacting a first side of a silicone membrane with a feed composition comprising a first component and a second component while contacting a second side of the membrane with an absorbent fluid, the absorbent fluid comprising an organosilicon fluid comprising an organopolysiloxane compound, wherein the organopolysiloxane compound comprises a trisiloxane, tetrasiloxane, or pentasiloxane comprising a polyether group, wherein the polyether group in the trisiloxane, tetrasiloxane, or pentasiloxane is terminated by hydroxyl, acetoxy, or alkoxy, to produce

a permeate mixture on the second side of the membrane comprising a used absorbent fluid comprising at least some of the first component and

a retentate mixture on the first side of the membrane comprising a contacted composition,

wherein the permeate mixture is enriched in the first component, and the retentate mixture is depleted in the first component.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the membrane comprises at least one of a supported membrane, an unsupported membrane, a dense membrane, a porous membrane, a tubular membrane, a flat sheet membrane, and a spiral wound membrane.

14. A system for separating one or more components from a feed composition, the system comprising:

a feed composition comprising a first component;

an absorbent fluid comprising an organosilicon fluid comprising an organopolysiloxane compound, wherein the organopolysiloxane compound comprises a trisiloxane, tetrasiloxane, or pentasiloxane comprising a polyether group, wherein the polyether group in the trisiloxane, tetrasiloxane, or pentasiloxane is terminated by hydroxyl, acetoxy, or alkoxy;

a contactor that contacts at least some of the first component with the absorbent fluid;

a contacted composition provided by the contactor; and

a used absorbent fluid provided by the contactor, the used absorbent fluid comprising at least some of the first component that the contactor contacted with the absorbent fluid.