Hollow fiber membrane contact apparatus and process

A shell-side liquid-gas phase contactor comprising:

• a plurality of porous perfluorinated thermoplastic hollow fiber membranes comprising a polymer selected from the group consisting of poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-perfluoro (alkylvinylether)), tetrafluoroethylene-co-hexafluoropropylene, and blends of these,
• the hollow fibers having a first end and a second end, an outer surface and an inner surface;
• the hollow fiber membranes selected from the group consisting of:
• hollow fiber membranes having a porous skinned inner surface, a porous outer surface, and a porous support structure between;
• hollow fiber membranes having a porous skinned outer surface, a porous inner surface, and a porous support structure between;
• and
• hollow fiber membranes having a porous outer surface, a porous inner surface, and a porous support structure between,
• a perfluorinated thermoplastic housing wherein both ends of the hollow fibers are potted with a perfluorinated thermoplastic seal forming a unitary end structure with the housing where the fiber ends are open to fluid flow,
• the housing having an inner wall and an outer wall wherein the inner wall of the housing and the outer surface of the hollow fiber membranes define a fluid flow volume,
• the housing having a gas inlet to supply a gas to the first end of the hollow fiber lumen and a gas outlet for removal of gas from the second end of the hollow fibers,
• the housing having a liquid inlet to supply a liquid to be contacted with the outer surface of the hollow fiber membranes and a liquid outlet to remove the liquid contacted with the outer surface of the fibers in the housing;
• and added spacer means located at the unpotted portion of the hollow fibers adjacent the liquid inlet, thereby permitting liquid flow through the shell at a flow rate up to 10 gallons per minute.

A shell-side liquid-gas phase contactor made from a perfluorinated thermoplastic polymer for contacting a liquid with a gas comprising:

• a plurality of porous perfluorinated thermoplastic hollow fibers having a first end and a second end, the hollow fibers formed of a polymer selected from the group consisting of poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-perfluoro (alkylvinylether)), tetrafluoroethylene-co-hexafluoropropylene, and blends of these polymer,
• the hollow fibers having an outer surface and an inner surface,
• a perfluorinated thermoplastic housing wherein each end of the hollow fiber are potted to form a liquid tight seal forming a unitary end structure with the surrounding housing wherein the fiber ends are open;
• the housing having an inner wall and an outer wall wherein the inner wall of the housing and the hollow fiber outer surface defines a liquid flow volume,
• the housing having a gas inlet to supply a gas to the first end of the hollow fibers and a gas outlet to remove gas from the second end of the hollow fibers;
• the housing having an added spacer to promote the ingress of liquid into the flow volume of the housing;
• the housing having a liquid inlet to supply a liquid to be contacted with the outer surface of the hollow fibers and a liquid outlet to remove the contacted liquid from the housing.

A shell-side contactor that transfers mass between a liquid and a gas comprising:

• a housing having a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet to contact a flow of liquid with the outer surface of a plurality of perfluorinated porous hollow fiber membranes positioned within the housing,
• the hollow fiber membranes fluidly sealed to the housing and open for gas flow through the hollow fibers,
• the hollow fiber membranes having an inlet and an outlet,
• the housing having spacer means at a gas inlet for passing the gas into the porous hollow fiber membranes,
• wherein the packing density of hollow porous fiber membranes is at least 0.34 m2 of membrane area per liter of interior housing volume.