Membranes for highly selective separations
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of Colorado
InventorsShiguang Li, Sara Arvidson, John Falconer, Richard Noble
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Abstract
The present invention provides modified molecular sieve membranes with improved CO2/CH4 separation selectivity and methods for making such membranes. The molecular sieve membranes are modified by adsorption of a modifying agent, such as ammonia, within and/or on the membrane.
Claims23
A method for treating a molecular sieve membrane to increase its separation selectivity, which comprises:
- providing a molecular sieve membrane;
- and
- adsorbing a modifying agent within the membrane, on the membrane, or both on and within the membrane.
A supported membrane comprising a porous support and ammoniated SAPO-34 crystals which form a layer on at least one side of the support;
- wherein the CO2/CH4 separation selectivity of the membrane is greater than about 42,000 at a temperature between about 297 K and about 323 K, a pressure differential across the membrane between about 2.3 MPa and about 3.0 MPa, and a CO2 concentration between about 25 mol % and about 70 mol %.
A method for separating a first gas component from a gas mixture containing at least a first and a second gas component, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a modified molecular sieve membrane, the membrane having a feed and a permeate side, being selectively permeable to the first gas component over the second gas component, and being modified by adsorption of a modifying agent within the membrane;
- applying a feed stream including the first and the second gas components to the feed side of the membrane;
- providing a driving force sufficient for permeation of the first gas component through the membrane, thereby producing a permeate stream enriched in the first gas component from the permeate side of the membrane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.