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US 7,959,711 B2Granted
Gas separation membrane system and method of making thereof using nanoscale metal material
AssigneeShell Oil Company
InventorsJohn Charles Saukaitis, Alan Anthony Del Paggio
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of manufacturing such gas separation membrane system that includes applying to a surface of a porous substrate a layer of a nanopowder of a gas-selective metal and, thereafter, heat-treating the resultant surface treated porous substrate to yield a heat-treated and surface-treated porous substrate suitable for use as a gas separation membrane system.
Claims38
A method of making a gas separation membrane, wherein said method comprises:
- applying to a surface of a porous substrate a layer of a nanopowder, comprising nanoparticles of a gas-selective metal, to provide a surface treated porous substrate, wherein the method employed to apply said layer of nanopowder to the surface of said porous substrate comprises the steps of:
- aerosolizing a suspension of nanoparticles of the gas-selective metal within a liquid solvent, combining a flow stream of the thus-formed aerosol with an annular sheath gas flow, passing the thus-combined aerosol and flow stream through an extended nozzle, and focusing the thus-combined aerosol and flow stream upon the surface of the porous substrate to thereby apply a layer of nanoparticles of a gas-selective material to the surface of said porous substrate, said layer having a thickness of from 3 nm (0.003 μm) to 15 μm;
- and
- heating said surface treated porous substrate at a temperature maintained below the melting temperature of said porous substrate but sufficient to sinter said layer of nanopowder to provide a heat treated surface treated porous substrate with a sintered layer of gas tight, gas-selective nanopowder suitable for use as a gas separation membrane.
1 more element
A gas separation membrane system, comprising:
- a porous substrate, having a surface that is treated with a layer of a nanopowder employing an application method comprising the steps of:
- aerosolizing a suspension of nanoparticles of the gas-selective metal within a liquid solvent, combining a flow stream of the thus-formed aerosol with an annular sheath gas flow,
- passing the thus-combined aerosol and flow stream through an extended nozzle, and focusing the thus-combined aerosol and flow stream upon the surface of the porous substrate to thereby apply a layer of nanoparticles of a gas-selective material to the surface of said porous substrate, said layer having a thickness of from 3 nm (0.003 μm) to 15 μm, and wherein said surface-treated porous substrate is heat-treated at a temperature maintained below the melting temperature of said porous substrate but sufficient to sinter said layer of nanoparticles to produce a sintered layer of gas tight, gas selective nanopowder, to provide said gas separation membrane system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.