INTEGRATED CATALYTIC MEMBRANE SYSTEM FOR MODULAR MANUFACTURING OF ON-PURPOSE PROPYLENE AT SHALE GAS SITES
Statement of Problem or Situation being Addressed: Shale gas is reshaping petrochemicals. A big change is the generation of “on purpose” propylene (OPP) plants. These OPP plants in most cases are based on propane dehydration (PDH). The reason for OPP plants is the change of mixtures being fed to crackers produces less propylene. In PDH plants, propane is converted to propylene but not quantitatively (e.g. 85% yield) so there is a need to improve propylene to polymer grade (99%) propylene. This can be done with an expensive distillation process. The Phase II will focus on (1) using commercial PDH catalysts in combination with (2) CMS’s novel membrane process. The membranes developed in this process will enhance not only OPP processes but many other olefin-paraffin pinch points at the petrochemical plant. Many of these pinch points will have developed with the shifting of feedstock to more ethane and related shale gas. Statement of how this Problem or Situation is being Addressed: This program proposes to develop an enhanced CMS custom amorphous fluoropolymer (CAF) membrane system for enhancing the OPP process by replacing downstream distillation with a CMS CAF membrane system for purifying the propylene. In developing this enhanced OPP membrane purification system we will not only reduce the cost of OPP but we will be providing a valuable tool for enhancing the broader debottlenecking need of the shifting petrochemical industry. What was accomplished in Phase I: The Phase I DOE program was targeted to develop an enhanced CMS CAF-based facilitated transport membrane (FTM) system for enhancing the OPP process by replacing downstream distillation with a CMS CAF membrane system for purifying the propylene. Phase I tasks also included a paper study to determine if Idaho National Lab’s (INL) catalytic oxidative dehydrogenation process for converting propane to propylene ahead of CMS membranes can be a preferred process to propane dehydrogenation. The Phase I program has been very successful. We have demonstrated the feasibility of all the key elements that were proposed. What will be done in Phase II: In Phase II we will further optimize the CMS FTM, which represent the novel membrane technology at CMS. We will scale up production of the FTM composite membranes and build high performance membrane modules. We will build a pilot demonstration unit and run pilot tests to demonstrate its potential to provide value for the OPP systems. First we will fabricate and test 1-2 ft2 membranes and then further scale up to 10 ft2 modules for pilot testing. Using the pilot tests we will then complete engineering and economic evaluation. We expect to commercialize this technology by the end of the Phase II program. Commercial Applications and other Benefits: Ethylene and propylene are two of the three major building blocks of the petrochemical industry (benzene is third). Therefore membrane processes that can cost effectively enhance olefin-paraffin (e.g., ethylene from ethane) separations provides potential for energy savings approaching 100 Trillion BTU/yr.
- Research Organization:
- Compact Membrane Systems, Inc.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- DOE Contract Number:
- SC0019622
- OSTI ID:
- 1576975
- Type / Phase:
- STTR (Phase I)
- Report Number(s):
- DOE-CMS-19622-1; DOE230
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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