Separation of Binary Mixtures of Propylene and Propane by Facilitated Transport through Silver Incorporated Poly(Ether-Block-Amide) Membranes

R. Surya Murali, K. Yamuna Rani, T. Sankarshana, A.F. Ismail, S. Sridhar
2014 Oil & Gas Science and Technology  
The separation of propylene and propane is a challenging task in petroleum refineries due to the similar molecular sizes and physical properties of two gases. Composite Poly(etherblock-amide) (Pebax-1657) membranes incorporated with silver tetra fluoroborate (AgBF 4 ) in concentrations of 0-50% of the polymer weight were prepared by solution casting and solvent evaporation technique. The membranes were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) and
more » ... e-angle X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) to study surface and cross-sectional morphologies, effect of incorporation on intermolecular interactions and degree of crystallinity, respectively. Experimental data was measured with an indigenously built high-pressure gas separation manifold having an effective membrane area of 42 cm 2 . Permeability and selectivity of membranes were determined for three different binary mixtures of propylene-propane at pressures varying in the range 2-6 bar. Selectivity of C 3 H 6 /C 3 H 8 enhanced from 2.92 to 17.22 and 2.11 to 20.38 for 50/50 and 66/34 C 3 H 6 +C 3 H 8 feed mixtures, respectively, with increasing loading of AgBF 4 . Pebax membranes incorporated with AgBF 4 exhibit strong potential for the separation of C 3 H 6 /C 3 H 8 mixtures in petroleum refineries. Re´sume´-Se´paration de me´langes binaires de propyle'ne et de propane par transport au travers des membranes de poly(e´ther-bloc-amide) incorporant de l'argent -La masse mole´culaire et les proprie´te´s physiques similaires du propyle'ne et du propane rendent proble´matique la se´paration des deux gaz dans les raffineries de pe´trole. Des membranes composites de poly (e´ther-bloc-amide) (Pebax-1657) incorporant du te´trafluoroborate d'argent (AgBF 4 ) dans des concentrations massiques allant de 0 a'50 % ont e´te´pre´pare´es par enduction et e´vaporation du solvant. Les membranes ont e´te´caracte´rise´es par Microscopie É lectronique a'Balayage (MEB), par spectroscopie InfraRouge a'Transforme´e de Fourier (IRTF) et par diffractome´trie de rayons X aux grands angles (DRX) afin d'e´tudier respectivement la morphologie de surface et transversale, l'impact de l'inte´gration d'AgBF4 sur les interactions intermole´culaires et le degre´de cristallinite´. Les donne´es expe´rimentales ont e´te´collecte´es dans une chambre de se´paration a'haute pression conc¸ue spe´cialement ayant une surface effective de membrane de 42 cm 2 . La perme´abilite´et la se´lectivite´des membranes sont de´termine´es pour trois me´langes
doi:10.2516/ogst/2013190 fatcat:jer2w7t2nbb2jjrqzgk4j3fsri