Removal of Acid Gas Emissions Using Hollow Fiber Gas Absorption Membrane Contactors

Abstract

TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax +1-972-952-9435. AbstractIt is important to devise techniques which would remove acid gases like CO2, H2S and other sulphoric components present in natural gas and industrial gas. They may have to be removed from the gas streams for environmental, economical and operational reasons. This paper provides a general review of hollow fiber gas absorption membrane contactor, including liquid absorbents, membrane characteristics, combination of membrane and absorbent, mass transfer, modules and model development. And also, areas of future potential in gas absorption membrane contactors for acid gas removal were briefly identified. In this device, separation of a gas mixture is achieved by the liquid absorbent, which selectively absorbs one of the components of the permeating gas mixture. The microporous membrane used in this process act as a fixed interface between the gas and the liquid phase without dispersing one phase into another that offers a flexible modular and energy efficient device. The absorption process can offer a high selectivity and a high driving force for transport even at low concentrations. Therefore, using hollow fiber gas absorption membrane contactors for acid gas removal from gas streams can be a promising alternative to conventional gas absorption systems.

From hydrophobic to hydrophilic polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF) membranes by gaining new insight into material's properties

“…[2][3][4][5] The C-F bonds are polar and the highest dipole moment is obtained with the alignment of all dipoles of the polymer in the same direction, corresponding to the β-phase of the PVDF. 3,8 To mitigate these problems, hydrophilic modification of PVDF has been currently adopted with the aim of reducing fouling, while enhanced hydrophobicity would improve wetting-resistance. PVDF has outstanding properties in terms of thermal stability, chemical resistance and processability to form membranes by casting solution methods.…”