Facilitated Transport Membrane With TiOx Protection for Olefin Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas separation technologies, particularly those using silver-based facilitated transport membranes, face instability and inefficiency due to silver ion reduction and low flux, making them unsuitable for large-scale olefin-paraffin separations, especially with intermittent clean electricity sources.
Innovation Solution
A multi-layered separation membrane comprising a polymer layer, a metal salt layer, a hydrophobic polymer-ceramic layer, and a porous support layer, with a silver salt solution impregnated filter, enhances stability and efficiency by using titanium (III) oxide to protect silver ions and allowing for effective olefin-paraffin separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If silver-based facilitated transport membranes are used for olefin-paraffin separation, then separation selectivity is improved, but stability deteriorates due to silver ion reduction to silver metal
Solution Approach 1:
A titanium oxide layer is introduced as an intermediary between the silver salt layer and the external environment. This intermediary layer protects the silver ions from reduction by reactive gases and light while allowing the silver ions to maintain their olefin-complexing function, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining high separation selectivity and ensuring long-term stability
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane is designed as a composite structure combining multiple materials: a polymer matrix, silver salt facilitators, and titanium oxide protective layer. This composite approach allows each material to perform its specific function - the polymer provides the membrane structure, silver salts provide olefin selectivity, and titanium oxide provides stability - thereby achieving both high separation selectivity and long-term reliability
2Manufacturing precision
If high concentrations of Ag(I) ions are dispersed in the polymer membrane to achieve desired transport properties, then olefin separation performance is improved, but flux decreases due to low membrane permeability
Solution Approach 1:
The membrane incorporates a porous support layer and utilizes the porous structure to enhance gas transport. The porous architecture provides additional pathways for gas molecules to pass through the membrane, increasing the overall flux while maintaining the silver ion facilitation mechanism for selective olefin transport, thus resolving the contradiction between separation performance and productivity
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional cryogenic distillation is used for alkene-alkane separations, then separation efficiency is improved, but energy consumption increases and adaptability to intermittent clean electricity sources deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/thermal separation process (cryogenic distillation requiring high energy input and temperature control) with a membrane-based facilitated transport process. This substitution uses chemical interactions between silver ions and olefins at near-ambient conditions, enabling the system to operate efficiently with intermittent clean electricity sources and achieve load leveling applications
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The membrane achieves high ethylene selectivity and permeability, maintaining performance over time, even with challenging gas mixtures, and is suitable for both small-scale and large-scale applications with clean electricity sources.
Implementation Method 1
Silver salt facilitated transport membranes use the ability of silver ions to interact reversibly with olefins by forming silver-olefin complexes
Implementation Method 2
The Ag(I) ions are unstable due to reduction-oxidation (redox) pathways, and the Ag(I) (Ag+1) ions are reduced to silver metal (Ag(0), Ag0, silver black) by reactive gases (e.g., H2S) or exposure to light
Implementation Method 3
The membrane achieves high ethylene selectivity and permeability, maintaining performance over time
Implementation Method 4
providing a driving force for transmembrane permeation of the feed stream
Data Source
AI summary
A separation membrane comprises a polymer layer, a metal salt layer adjacent to the polymer layer, a hydrophobic polymer-ceramic layer adjacent to the metal salt layer, and a porous support layer adjacent to the hydrophobic polymer-ceramic layer. A facilitated transport separation membrane and a method for separating components in a feed stream are also disclosed.