Reactive polymer membranes for ethylene/ethane separation

Abstract Olefin/paraffin separations by distillation are highly energy intensive. Facilitated transport, or reactive membranes have long been investigated as an alternative and/or complementary separation technology to conventional distillation. However, stability problems associated with facilitated transport membranes have been the primary obstacle in the development of commercial FT processes. In this paper, we report the development of a polymer membrane containing silver(I) ion that facilitates the transport of ethylene in the absence of solvent. Blends of ionically conductive and electrically conductive polymers were found to have the appropriate electronic environment to allow reaction of silver(I) ion and ethylene. The results for the ethylene/ethane separation were obtained with composite membranes of silver(I)-form Nafion ® and 2 wt% poly(pyrrole). Permeation measurements were performed with ethylene/ethane mixtures at total feed pressures ranging from 760 to 1900 mmHg and at temperatures of 40°C to 70°C. Pure gas permeability measurements were obtained at a total feed pressure of 1900 mmHg and temperatures of 30°C and 40°C. Ethylene/ethane separation factors with the silver(I)-form Nafion-poly(pyrrole) composite membranes increased from 8 to 15 as temperature decreased. Ethylene permeabilities increased from 0.2 to 1 Barrer over the temperature range of 30°C to 70°C. An ethylene/ethane mixed gas permeability ratio of about 2 was observed with non-reactive proton-form Nafion-poly(pyrrole) composite membranes. Ethylene permeation measurements as a function of membrane thickness suggested that the facilitated transport of ethylene approached the reaction-limited regime at membrane thickness of 5 μm. The complexation between ethylene molecules and silver(I) ions in Nafion-poly(pyrrole) composite membrane was observed with FTIR spectroscopy.