Polymer membrane for separating aromatic and aliphatic compounds
AssigneeExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
InventorsRandall D. Partridge, Dennis G. Peiffer, David C. Dalrymple, Walter Weissman
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Abstract
This invention relates to a polymeric membrane composition comprising an associating polymer. The polymer coating is characterized as having hard and soft segments where the hard segment comprises TMPA, combined with HDPA. The membrane may utilize a porous substrate.
Claims20
A copolymer membrane comprising a polyimide membrane hard segment and an aliphatic polyester membrane soft segment, wherein said polyimide membrane hard segment is comprised of at least one anhydride comprising 4,4′ (hexafluoroisopropylidene) diphthalic anhydride (HPDA), and at least one diamine comprising 1,4-phenylene diamine (TMPA) and wherein the membrane soft segment is comprised of a compound selected from the group consisting of a polyadipate, a polysuccinate, a polymalonate, a polyoxalate, and a polyglutarate.
A membrane assembly comprising a housing containing at least one membrane element and at least one support material, wherein the membrane element is comprised of a polyimide hard segment and a soft segment;
- the polyimide hard segment is comprised of a dianhydride and TMPA and HPDA and the soft segment of the membrane is comprised of a compound selected from the group, consisting of a polyadipate, a polysuccinate, a polymalonate, a polyoxalate, and a polyglutarate.
A method for making a polymeric membrane, comprising:
- a) reacting a polyethylcneadipate with a anhydride HPDA to form a prepolymer;
- b) adding diamine TMPA to the prepolymer to form a first solution;
- c) adding a cross-linking agent to the first solution to form a second solution;
- d) incorporating the second solution onto a suitable support;
- and
- e) curing the second solution to form a membrane having hard and soft segments wherein the soft segments comprises a polyadipate, a polysuccinate, a polymalonate, a polyoxalate, or polyglutanate, or a combination thereof.
A process for selectively separating a desired component from a hydrocarbon feedstream, comprising:
- a) contacting the hydrocarbon feedstream with one side of a polymeric membrane assembly comprised of a housing containing at least one membrane element and at least one support material, wherein the membrane element is comprised of a polyimide hard segment and a soft segment, the polyimide hard segment is comprised of an anhydride HPDA and a diamine TMPA, and the soft segment comprises a polyadipate, a polysuccinate, a polymalonate, a polyoxalate, a polyglutanate, or a combination thereof, and
- b) retrieving a permeate from the opposite side of the polymeric membrane assembly;
- wherein the concentration by wt % of the desired component in the permeate stream is higher than the concentration by wt % of the desired component in the hydrocarbon feedstream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.