Development of pervaporation to recover and reuse volatile organic compounds from industrial waste streams. Final report

Objective was to demonstrate use of pervaporation, a new membrane technology, as an efficient, low-cost method of recovering dissolved volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from water and to commercialize this technology. MTR`s industrial commercialization partner, Hoechst Celanese, allowed the project to move rapidly with both demonstration work and precommercial business planning. However, in Dec. 1996 the technology was returned to MT. To date, two systems were sold: one for a wastewater application, the other for removing off flavors from soup stock. Two other customers did extensive field tests and are expected to purchase systems in 1997. This report describes the development of pervaporation membranes and modules at MT. A study was performed with these membrane modules to determine the parameters governing membrane performance. Laboratory data were integrated into the design of several pervaporation demonstration systems, which were operated in the laboratory and at field sites. Results of two of these field trials (benzene/toluene/ethylbenzene/xylenes removal from evaporator condensate water produced by a natural gas glycol dehydration unit at a PGE benefits include lower CO{sub 2} emissions because of less destruction of VOCs by incineration. Also, raw material costs for the chemical industry will be reduced with the recovered VOCs. Industries will be less likely to move overseas due to increased wastewater regulation in US.« less