SILVER-FACILITATED OLEFIN/PARAFFIN SEPARATION IN A LIQUID MEMBRANE CONTACTOR SYSTEM

Silver-facilitated ethylene/ethane separation was successfully accomplished using supported Liquid membrane in a membrane contactor configuration. Ethylene flux increased with increasing driving force. The effect, however, gradually leveled off at higher driving forces (>100 psi) due to the limitation of the ethylene/silver complexation equilibrium. Increases in Liquid side pressure resulted in a slight initial drop in ethylene flux that quickly leveled off to a constant value as more liquid pressure was applied. The reason for this drop may be a combination of two-phase flow effects and a change in the gas-liquid interface area. Varying liquid circulation rate showed two distinct regions bf permeation behavior. At low liquid flow rate, the ethylene permeation is limited by the rate at which the carrier solution is delivered to the flash pot. In this region, ethylene flux increases with increasing liquid flow rate. At high liquid flow rates the ethylene flux is at a maximum and is limited by diffusion through the membrane wall. Ethylene transport is also affected by the fiber morphology (porosity and tortuosity) resulting from different spinning conditions.