Stacked membranes and their use in gas separation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12083474-B2
Application number	US-202117551519-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2021
Priority date	Dec 15, 2021
Publication date	Sep 10, 2024
Grant date	Sep 10, 2024

Abstract

A membrane system includes a first membrane and a second membrane. At a given temperature and pressure: the first membrane has a permeation rate for a first gas and a selectivity for a gas mixture comprising the first gas a second gas different from the first gas; the second membrane has a permeation rate for the first gas and a selectivity for the gas mixture; the permeation rate of the first membrane is greater than the permeation rate of the second membrane; and the selectivity of the second membrane is greater than the selectivity of the first membrane.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A membrane system, comprising:
a first membrane; and
a second membrane,
wherein, at a temperature and pressure:
the first membrane has a permeation rate for a first gas and a selectivity for a gas mixture comprising the first gas a second gas different from the first gas;
the second membrane has a permeation rate for the first gas and a selectivity for the gas mixture;
the permeation rate of the first membrane is greater than the permeation rate of the second membrane; and
the selectivity of the second membrane is greater than the selectivity of the first membrane; and

wherein at least one of the following holds:
the selectivity of the membrane system at a pressure of 1,100 psi is within 30% of the selectivity of the membrane system at a pressure of 500 psi; and
the selectivity of the membrane system at a pressure of 700 psi is within 30% of the selectivity of the membrane system at a pressure of 500 psi.

2. The membrane system of claim 1 , wherein the permeation rate of the first membrane is at least two times greater than the permeation rate of the second membrane.

3. The membrane system of claim 1 , wherein the selectivity of the second membrane is at least 1.5 times greater than the selectivity of the first membrane.

4. The membrane system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the following holds:
the first membrane comprises a first material, and the selectivity of the first material at 1,100 psi is more than 50% different from the selectivity of the first material at 500 psi;
the first membrane comprises a first material, and the selectivity of the first material at 700 psi is more than 50% different from the selectivity of the first material at 500 psi;
the second membrane comprises a second material, and the selectivity of the second material at 1,100 psi is more than 50% different from the selectivity of the second material at 500 psi; and
the second membrane comprises a second material, and the selectivity of the second material at 700 psi is more than 50% different from the selectivity of the second material at 500 psi.

5. The membrane system of claim 1 , wherein the first gas is selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide, and the second gas is methane.

6. The membrane system of claim 1 , wherein:
the gas mixture further comprises a third gas different from the first and second gases;
the first membrane has a permeation rate for the third gas;
the second membrane has a permeation rate for the third gas; and
the permeation rate of the first membrane for the third gas is greater than the permeation rate of the second membrane for the third gas.

7. The membrane system of claim 6 , wherein the first gas is carbon dioxide, the second gas is methane, and the third gas is hydrogen sulfide.

8. The membrane system of claim 1 , wherein the first membrane and the second membrane form a hollow fiber stacked membrane, or first membrane and the second membrane form a planar stacked membrane.

9. The membrane system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first membrane comprises a first material;
the second membrane comprises a second material different from the first material;
the first material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a polymer and an inorganic material; and
the second material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a polymer and an inorganic material.

10. The membrane system of claim 1 , wherein the first membrane comprises a first polymer, and the second membrane comprises a second polymer different from the first polymer.

11. The membrane system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first membrane comprises a first polymer selected from the group consisting of polyimides, polyoxadiazoles, polytriazoles, polyazoles, polysulfones, polyethersulfones, polyvinylidenedifluorides, polyacrylonitriles, polyamides, polyamide-imides, polyethylenes, polypropylenes, cellulose acetates, polyetheretherketones, polybenimidazoles, ladder polymers, and polymers with intrinsic microporosity; and
the second membrane comprises a second polymer selected from the group consisting of polyimides, polyoxadiazoles, polytriazoles, polyazoles, polysulfones, polyethersulfones, polyvinylidenedifluorides, polyacrylonitriles, polyamides, polyamide-imides, polyethylenes, polypropylenes, cellulose acetates, polyetheretherketones, polybenimidazoles, ladder polymers, and polymers with intrinsic microporosity.

12. The membrane system of claim 10 , wherein the first polymer comprises a polyimide, and the second polymer comprises a polyimide.

13. The membrane system of claim 1 , wherein one of the first and second membranes is coated on the other of the first and second membranes.

14. The membrane system of claim 1 , further comprising a third membrane, wherein the third membrane is between the first and second membranes.

15. A gas separation system, comprising:
a gas source configured to provide a mixture comprising a first gas and a second gas different from the first gas; and
a membrane system, comprising:
a first membrane; and
a second membrane,

wherein, at a temperature and pressure:
the gas separation system is configured so that, during use of the gas separation system, the gas mixture contacts the first membrane before contacting the second membrane;
the first membrane has a permeation rate for the first gas and a selectivity for the gas mixture gas;
the second membrane has a permeation rate for the first gas and a selectivity for the gas mixture;
the permeation rate of the first membrane is greater than the permeation rate of the second membrane; and
the selectivity of the second membrane is greater than the selectivity of the first membrane; and

wherein at least one of the following holds:
the selectivity of the membrane system at a pressure of 1,100 psi is within 30% of the selectivity of the membrane system at a pressure of 500 psi; and
the selectivity of the membrane system at a pressure of 700 psi is within 30% of the selectivity of the membrane system at a pressure of 500 psi.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein:
the gas source is a natural gas source;
the first gas comprises a member selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide; and
the second gas comprises methane.

17. A membrane system, comprising:
a first membrane; and
a second membrane,
wherein, at a temperature and pressure:
the first membrane has a permeation rate for a first gas and a selectivity for a gas mixture comprising the first gas a second gas different from the first gas;
the second membrane has a permeation rate for the first gas and a selectivity for the gas mixture;
the permeation rate of the first membrane is greater than the permeation rate of the second membrane; and
the selectivity of the second membrane is greater than the selectivity of the first membrane; and

wherein;
one of the first and second membranes is coated on the other of the first and second membranes;
the first membrane comprises a first polymer selected from the group consisting of polyimides, polyoxadiazoles, polytriazoles, polyazoles, polysulfones, polyethersulfones, polyvinylidenedifluorides, polyacrylonitriles, polyamides, polyamide-imides, polyethylenes, polypropylenes, cellulose acetates, polyetheretherketones, polybenimidazoles, ladder polymers, and polymers with intrinsic microporosity; and
the second membrane comprises a second polymer selected from the group consisting of polyimides, polyoxadiazoles, polytriazoles, polyazoles, polysulfones, polyethersulfones, p

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Hayek Ali
• Shalabi Yasser A
• Choi Seung-Hak
• Alsamah Abdulkarim

Classifications

• B01D63/02

  Hollow fibre modules · CPC title

• C10L3/104

  Carbon dioxide · CPC title

• C10L3/103

  Sulfur containing contaminants · CPC title

• C10L2290/548

  Membrane- or permeation-treatment for separating fractions, components or impurities during preparation or upgrading of a fuel · CPC title

• B01D63/082

  comprising a stack of flat membranes · CPC title