Development of pervaporation to recover and reuse volatile organic compounds from industrial waste streams. Final report

Technical Report · Sat Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1997

OSTI ID:484731

Baker, R W; Athayde, A L; Daniels, R; Le, M; Pinnau, I; Ly, J H; Wijmans, J G; Kaschemekat, J H; Helm, V D

Objective was to demonstrate use of pervaporation, a new membrane technology, as an efficient, low-cost method of recovering dissolved volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from water and to commercialize this technology. MTR`s industrial commercialization partner, Hoechst Celanese, allowed the project to move rapidly with both demonstration work and precommercial business planning. However, in Dec. 1996 the technology was returned to MT. To date, two systems were sold: one for a wastewater application, the other for removing off flavors from soup stock. Two other customers did extensive field tests and are expected to purchase systems in 1997. This report describes the development of pervaporation membranes and modules at MT. A study was performed with these membrane modules to determine the parameters governing membrane performance. Laboratory data were integrated into the design of several pervaporation demonstration systems, which were operated in the laboratory and at field sites. Results of two of these field trials (benzene/toluene/ethylbenzene/xylenes removal from evaporator condensate water produced by a natural gas glycol dehydration unit at a PG&E gas processing plant, and chlorinated solvent removal from contaminated groundwater at Pinellas) are reported. Economic analysis shows that pervaporation is cheaper than steam stripping for treating water containing highly VOCs such as toluene or TCE up to flow rates of 100-200 gpm. For moderately VOCs such as acetone or methylene chloride, pervaporation is cheaper for streams < 10-20 gpm. Market studies suggest that by 2010 pervaporation will realize energy savings of 81x10{sup 12} Btu and waste reduction of 0.54x10{sup 6} tons VOCs; benefits include lower CO{sub 2} emissions because of less destruction of VOCs by incineration. Also, raw material costs for the chemical industry will be reduced with the recovered VOCs. Industries will be less likely to move overseas due to increased wastewater regulation in US.

• Research Organization: Membrane Technology and Research, Inc., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FC04-94AL98769
• OSTI ID: 484731
• Report Number(s): DOE/AL/98769--1; ON: DE97006846; BR: ED 3002
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
MATERIALS RECOVERY
MEMBRANE TRANSPORT
MEMBRANES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROGRESS REPORT
SEPARATION PROCESSES
VOLATILE MATTER
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTE WATER
WATER TREATMENT