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Title: Hollow Fibers Structured Packings in Olefin/Paraffin Distillation: Apparatus Scale-Up and Long-Term Stability

Journal Article · · Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ie400126y· OSTI ID:1304698
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [2]
  1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  2. Morrison Consultants, El Rito, NM (United States)

Following the conceptual demonstration of high separation efficiency and column capacity obtained in olefin/paraffin distillation using hollow fiber structured packings (HFSPs) in a bench scale (J. Membr. Sci.2006, 2007, and 2010), we scaled-up this process with a 10-fold increase in the internal flow rate and a 3-fold increase in the module length. We confirmed that the HFSPs technology gives high separation efficiency and column capacity in iso-/n-butane distillation for 18 months. We systematically investigated the effects of packing density, concentration of light component, reflux ratio, and module age on the separation efficiency and operating stability. The comprehensive characterizations using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) were carried out to probe the changes in the morphological, thermal, and mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP) hollow fibers over the aging process. Our results suggest that after a long-term exposure to light hydrocarbon environments at ≤70 °C the morphological and mechanical properties of the PP polymer do not degrade significantly in a propane/propylene and iso-/n-butane environment.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-06NA25396
OSTI ID:
1304698
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-13-20176
Journal Information:
Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol. 52, Issue 26; ISSN 0888-5885
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 8 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (2)

A Bibliometric Survey of Paraffin/Olefin Separation Using Membranes journal November 2019
Distillation of alcohol/water solution in hybrid metal–organic framework hollow fibers journal June 2019