UV and thermally treated polymeric membranes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9492785-B2
Application number	US-201415031649-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2014
Priority date	Dec 16, 2013
Publication date	Nov 15, 2016
Grant date	Nov 15, 2016

Abstract

Disclosed are polymeric blend membranes, and methods for their use, that include a blend of at least a first polymer and a second polymer, wherein the first and second polymers are each selected from a polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM), a polyetherimide (PEI) polymer, a polyimide (PI) polymer, or a polyetherimide-siloxane (PEI-Si) polymer, and wherein the polymeric membranes have been both ultraviolet (UV)-treated and thermally-treated.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A polymeric membrane comprising a blend of at least a first polymer and a second polymer, wherein the first polymer is a polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM) and the second polymer is a polyetherimide (PEI) polymer, or a polyetherimide-siloxane (PEI-Si) polymer, and wherein the polymeric membrane has been ultraviolet (UV)-treated and thermally-treated, wherein the membrane is capable of separating a first gas from a second gas or is capable of separating a first gas from a mixture of gases, wherein the first gas is C 2 H 4 and the second gas is C 2 H 6 , or wherein the first gas is C 3 H 6 and the second gas is C 3 H 8 or wherein the first gas is C 2 H 4 and the mixture of gases includes C 2 H 4 and C 2 H 6 , or wherein the first gas is C 3 H 6 and the mixture of gases includes C 3 H 6 and C 3 H 8 and wherein the polymeric membrane has a selectivity that exceeds the Robeson's upper bound trade-off curve.

2. The polymeric membrane of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric membrane has a selectivity of C 2 H 4 to C 2 H 6 or a selectivity of C 3 H 6 to C 3 H 8 that exceeds the Robeson's upper bound trade-off curve at a temperature of 25° C. and a feed pressure of 2 atm.

3. The polymeric membrane of claim 1 , wherein the membrane comprises from 80 to 95% w/w of PIM-1 and from 5 to 20% w/w of the PEI polymer.

4. The polymeric membrane of claim 1 , wherein the membrane is a flat sheet membrane, a spiral membrane, a tubular membrane, or a hollow fiber membrane.

5. The polymeric membrane of claim 1 , wherein the membrane comprises from 5 to 95% by weight of the first polymer and from 95 to 5% by weight of the second polymer.

6. The polymeric membrane of claim 1 , where the membrane further comprises a covalent organic framework (COF) additive, a carbon nanotube (CNT) additive, fumed silica (FS), titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) or graphene.

7. The polymeric membrane of claim 1 , wherein the PIM polymer has repeating units of formula:

8. A method for separating at least one component from a mixture of components, the process comprising: contacting a mixture of components on a first side of the polymeric membrane of claim 1 , such that at least a first component is retained on the first side in the form of a retentate and at least a second component is permeated through the membrane to a second side in the form of a permeate.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first component is a first gas and the second component is a second gas.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first gas is an olefin and the second gas is a paraffin.

11. A method of making the polymeric membranes of claim 1 , the method comprising:
(a) obtaining a mixture comprising at least a first polymer and a second polymer, wherein the first polymer is a polymer of intrinsic porosity (PIM) and the second polymer is a polyetherimide (PEI) polymer or a polyetherimide-siloxane (PEI-Si) polymer, and wherein the polymeric membrane has been ultraviolet (UV)-treated and thermally-treated, wherein the polymeric membrane has a selectivity that exceeds the Robeson's upper bound trade-off curve;
(b) depositing the mixture onto a substrate and drying the mixture to form a membrane; and
(c) subjecting the membrane to ultraviolet radiation and thermal treatment.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the mixture is in liquid form and wherein the first polymer and the second polymer are solubilized within said mixture.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first and second polymers are homogenously blended in the membrane.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein drying comprises vacuum drying or heat drying or both.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the membrane is UV-treated with UV radiation for 30 to 300 minutes, and wherein the membrane was thermally-treated at a temperature of to 100 to to 400° C. for 12 to 96 hours.

16. A gas separation device comprising the polymeric membrane of claim 1 .

17. The gas separation device of claim 16 , configured for using a flat sheet membrane, a spiral membrane, a tubular membrane, or a hollow fiber membrane.

18. The polymeric membrane of claim 1 , wherein the second polymer is a PEI polymer.

19. The polymeric membrane of claim 1 , wherein the second polymer is PEI-Si polymer.

Assignees

• Sabic Global Technologies Bv

Inventors

• Odeh Ihab N
• Shao Lei

Classifications

• B01D2323/345

  UV-treatment · CPC title

• B01D69/00

  Semi-permeable membranes for separation processes or apparatus characterised by their form, structure or properties; Manufacturing processes specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• B01D67/009

  with wave-energy, particle-radiation or plasma · CPC title

• B01D53/228 Primary

  characterised by specific membranes · CPC title

• B01D2256/24

  Hydrocarbons · CPC title