Surface-Enhanced Separation of Water from Hydrocarbons: Potential Dewatering Membranes for the Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis of Pine Biomass

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2016 · Energy and Fuels

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.6b01851· OSTI ID:1337033

Engtrakul, Dr. Chaiwat ^[1]; Hu, Michael Z. ^[2]; Bischoff, Brian L ^[2]; Jang, Gyoung Gug ^[2]

---

1. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
2. ORNL

The impact of surface-selective coatings on water permeation through a membrane when exposed to catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) vapor products was studied by tailoring the surface properties of the membrane coating from superhydrophilic to superhydrophobic. Our approach utilized high-performance architectured surface-selective (HiPAS) membranes that were inserted after a CFP reactor. At this insertion point, the inner wall surface of a tubular membrane was exposed to a mixture of water and upgraded product vapors, including light gases and deoxygenated hydrocarbons. Under proper membrane operating conditions, a high selectivity for water over 1-ring upgraded biomass pyrolysis hydrocarbons was observed due to a surface-enhanced capillary condensation process. Owing to this surface-enhanced effect, HiPAS membranes have the potential to enable high flux separations suggesting that water can be selectively removed from the CFP product vapors.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1337033
• Journal Information: Energy and Fuels, Vol. 30; ISSN 0887-0624
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English