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In spite of significant advancements in the synthesis of lab-scale polymeric membranes for CO 2 separation, only a limited number of studies have transitioned to pilot-scale studies. Fabricating membrane modules is a critical step in realizing the commercialization of gas separation membranes for post-combustion carbon capture, yet specific details regarding this process are rarely demonstrated. In this study, a commercial-size ⌀8ʺ prototype of countercurrent sweep spiral-wound (SW) membrane module with an amine-containing facilitated transport membrane was successfully fabricated. The module comprised 41 membrane leaves, each with a width of 20ʺ and a length of 36ʺ, resulting in a total effective membrane area of 35 m2. To ensure an even distribution of sweep flow on the permeate side to minimize pressure drop, a new epoxy glue dot line pattern was strategically designed to create a countercurrent flow configuration. The SW membrane module exhibited consistent transport performance aligning with the results of the flat-sheet membrane. The successful fabrication of the commercial-size prototype highlights the exceptional potential and effectiveness of the developed full-scale membrane module in effectively tackling the challenges associated with CO 2 capture from flue gas. [Display omitted] • Fabrication procedure of commercial-size prototype of spiral wound module was detailed. • A new epoxy glue dot line pattern was designed for countercurrent flow configuration. • An ⌀8ʺ module contained 41 membrane leaves for 35 m2 membrane area. • Anti-telescoping device and fiber-reinforced plastic were designed and employed. • High performance was obtained with an acceptable pressure drop of <1.5 psi/m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growing interest in carbon capture from syngas and natural gas, H 2 S/CO 2 separation is gradually becoming important in the gas processing and carbon capture industries. This work describes the development of amine-based facilitated transport membranes (FTMs) suitable for syngas desulfurization. Six amino acid salt carriers with varying steric hindrance were synthesized and used to fabricate FTMs. Their H 2 S/CO 2 separation performances were evaluated at 107 °C and 7 bar feed pressure, using a dry feed composition of 1.5% H 2 S and 98.5% CO2. H 2 S/CO 2 selectivity improved significantly as amine steric hindrance was increased. While mildly hindered amines showed low H 2 S/CO 2 selectivities of around 5, sterically hindered and tertiary amines showed substantially improved separation performance, with selectivities in the range of 10–20. A highly hindered carrier containing the di- tert -butyl amine moiety showed the highest selectivity of 19.6, along with an H 2 S permeance of 560 GPU. The di- tert -butyl amine-based FTM was used to study the effect of temperature and feed H 2 S content on H 2 S/CO 2 separation performance. The performances of the newly devised FTMs exceed the H 2 S/CO 2 upper bound, and the learnings shed light on the design of amine carriers for acid gas separations. [Display omitted] • Sterically hindered amines showed superior H 2 S/CO 2 separation performance. • Severely hindered amine-containing membrane showed high H 2 S/CO 2 selectivity of 19.6. • Increasing temperature and H 2 S feed pressure led to reduced H 2 S/CO 2 separation performance. • The obtained performance exceeded the H 2 S/CO 2 upper bounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A field trial with 1.4 m2 spiral-wound (SW) membrane modules fabricated from an amine-containing facilitated transport membrane was conducted with actual flue gas at the National Carbon Capture Center in Wilsonville, AL, U.S.A. Prior to the field test, the membrane modules were systematically evaluated with simulated flue gas to identify the optimal operating conditions, including feed flow rate, feed pressure and operating temperature. With the actual flue gas, the membrane modules showed ca. 1450 GPU CO 2 permeance and 185 CO 2 /N 2 selectivity at 67 °C with feed and permeate pressures of 4 and 0.3 atm, respectively. A 500-h stability was demonstrated in spite of the interference of system upsets and flue gas outages. During the field trial, carbon capture rates of better than 40% were achieved by a single SW module with coal-derived flue gas. Except for a few flue gas upsets, the CO 2 purities in the captured stream were 94.5% or better on dry basis. The data obtained from this project validates the membrane material and provide basis for the design and fabrication of full-scale SW module with a membrane area larger than 50 m2. It should be noted that no significant amounts of Cr, As and Se were deposited onto the membrane during this 500-h test. Highlights • 1.4 m2 spiral-wound modules of a facilitated transport membrane were fabricated. • A field trail was conducted with actual flue gas containing SO x , NO x and O 2. • Performance depended strongly on feed flow rate, pressure and temperature. • 500-h stable performance was demonstrated despite several flue gas outages. • > 40% CO 2 recovery and > 94.5% CO 2 purity were achieved by a single module. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The facilitated transport of CO 2 through an amine-containing polymeric membrane on a nanoporous PES substrate was studied at large feed-to-permeate pressure differentials that are relevant to post-combustion carbon capture. With the selective layer reinforced mechanically by incorporation of carbon nanotubes, the carrier saturation of amino groups by excessive CO 2 was observed at high feed or permeate vacuum pressure. Nearly complete carrier saturation was observed at 7 atm feed pressure or a permeate vacuum near ambient pressure. At relatively low vacuum pressures, the vacuum degree and operating temperature affected the CO 2 transport simultaneously. A vacuum pressure significantly lower than the water saturation pressure at certain temperature resulted in the dehydration of the selective layer, thereby a reduced CO 2 permeance. This dehydration was mitigated at a moderate vacuum pressure. At the moderate vacuum pressure, the nanoporous PES substrate controlled the water permeation, leading to a sufficiently hydrated selective layer with high CO 2 permeance and CO 2 /N 2 selectivity. Overall, the membrane performed well with 0.3–0.6 atm vacuum pressures at 67 °C and a feed pressure of 4 atm, achieving the best membrane performance with a CO 2 permeance of 1451 GPU and a CO 2 /N 2 selectivity of 165. Highlights • Facilitated transport membrane was characterized with large pressure differentials. • Carrier saturation occurred at a high feed or vacuum pressure. • Vacuum pressure affected the hydration of the amine-containing selective layer. • Higher temperature enhanced membrane performance due to faster reaction kinetics. • 1451 GPU CO 2 permeance and 165 CO 2 /N 2 selectivity were obtained at 67 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Fabrication of amine-containing membranes for removal of H 2 S and CO 2 from reformate gas for hydrogen purification for fuel cells was scaled up by using a continuous roll-to-roll membrane fabrication machine. The membrane contained aminoisobutyric acid-potassium salt as the mobile carrier and polyvinylamine as the fixed-site carrier for facilitated transport of acid gases in crosslinked polyvinylalcohol as the membrane matrix. Three key variables controlling the membrane selective layer thickness, i.e., the coating solution, substrate web coating speed, and coating knife gap setting, were identified and studied. Membranes in 14 in. in width and > 150 feet in length were fabricated with a uniform selective layer thickness of around 15 µm. The scale-up membranes demonstrated similar performances as the lab-scale membranes with a CO 2 permeance of more than 200 GPU, CO 2 /H 2 selectivity of greater than 200, and H 2 S/H 2 selectivity of higher than 600. The scale-up membranes were used for the fabrication of prototype spiral-wound membrane modules for a field test with autothermal reformate gas as the feed gas. The modeling and optimization of the hydrogen purification process were performed to identify the optimum test conditions for the spiral-wound membrane modules. The modeling results showed that the membrane removed H 2 S to less than 10 ppm and CO 2 to < 1% in the hydrogen product with more than 99% of H 2 recovery for the case of using a wet sweep gas with 40% moisture. The field test results showed that the H 2 S and CO 2 concentrations were about 4–10 ppm and < 3%, respectively, in the hydrogen product on a wet basis and that the agreement between the modeling results and the test results was reasonably good. Highlights • Fabrication of amine-containing CO 2 -selective membrane for H 2 S removal was scaled up. • Scale-up membranes were tested with both simulated and actual reformate gases as the feed gases. • Modeling and process optimization were performed to identify the optimum module test conditions. • Good membrane performance was obtained in agreement with the modeling results. • Field test results have shown the potential for H 2 S removal in fuel cell application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A novel facilitated transport membrane was synthesized in a composite membrane configuration with a 170-nm selective layer coated on a polyethersulfone nanoporous substrate. In the selective layer, poly(N -vinylformamide- co -vinylamine) with amino groups covalently bound to the polymer backbone was used as the fixed-site carrier and an aminoacid salt, synthesized by deprotonating sarcosine with 2-(1-piperazinyl)ethylamine, was blended as the mobile carrier. The membrane demonstrated a CO 2 permeance of 975 GPU (1 GPU = 10-6 cm3 (STP) cm-2 s-1 cmHg-1) and a CO 2 /N 2 selectivity > 140 at 57 °C with 1 atm feed and permeate pressures. The membrane performance was also characterized with a vacuum pulled on the permeate side to simulate actual separation process conditions. However, the rubbery selective layer of the synthesized membrane sank into the nanoporous substrate, resulting in a drastically reduced CO 2 permeance. To address this issue, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) wrapped by a copolymer poly(1-vinylpyrrolidone- co -vinyl acetate) were dispersed in the selective layer as reinforcement nanofillers. The gas permeation measurements showed that the incorporation of MWNTs strengthened the polymer matrix and the selective layer penetration was refrained by a 3 wt% MWNT loading. The presence of MWNTs also mitigated the polymer compaction if the feed gas was compressed. Highlights • 2-(1-piperazinyl)ethylamine sarcosinate facilitated CO 2 transport as mobile carrier. • Rubbery selective layer sunk into nanoporous substrate upon permeate vacuum. • Carbon nanotube enhanced selective layer rigidity to sustain vacuum suction. • Vacuum and substrate affected the hydration of amine-containing selective layer. • 1451 GPU CO 2 permeance and 165 CO 2 /N 2 selectivity were obtained at 67 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A vacuum-assisted deposition setup was developed in pilot scale to scale up and continuously deposit zeolite-Y (ZY) nanoparticles on 14-in wide nanoporous polyethersulfone (PES) substrate. The deposited substrate was used for composite membrane fabrication for carbon capture from flue gas. The effects of operating parameters, including ZY dispersion concentration, pressure differential, and web speed, on the ZY layer thickness and uniformity were studied. A ZY dispersion concentration of 0.08 wt%, a pressure differential of 3.7 in Hg, and a web speed of 3 ft/min were identified as the optimal operating conditions for depositing a thin and uniform ZY layer with a thickness of approximately 160 nm. A mathematical model with two adjustable parameters was derived from Darcy's law to correlate the operating parameters to the ZY layer thickness. After coating a polymeric amine-containing selective layer on the deposited substrate, the formed composite membrane showed a CO 2 permeance of 800 GPU with a CO 2 /N 2 selectivity over 150 at the typical flue gas temperature of 57 °C, which was superior to the performance of the membrane coated on the bare PES substrate. This improvement was due to the reduced selective layer penetration and effective diffusional length from the deposited substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Highly stable, uniform and ultrathin hydrophilic polymer coatings on the surface as well as in the pores of a PVDF microfiltration (MF) membrane are obtained by coating a hydrophilic monomer in liquid carbon dioxide (l-CO2) followed by subsequent crosslinking reaction. Polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA, M n ~258g/mol) is used as the l-CO2 soluble hydrophilic monomer source and azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) was used as a radical initiator. The extremely low surface tension and the low viscosity of l-CO2 result in ultrathin and uniform PEG coatings on the hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) microfiltration membrane. The chemical composition, morphology, and the depth profiles of the PEG-coated membranes are characterized in detail using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, electron probe microanalysis and energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis. Long-term permeation flux test using a bovine serum albumin solution shows that the 1.0wt% PEGDA-coated membrane using l-CO2 exhibits 1.34 times larger BSA solution flux than that of the uncoated PVDF membrane, and 1.3 times larger flux than that of a commercial hydrophilic membrane. Fouling resistance estimation shows that the 1wt% PEGDA-coated membrane exhibits ~30% lower internal fouling resistance than the pristine membrane, and ~24% lower internal fouling resistance than the commercial hydrophilic membrane. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A single-stage membrane process has been designed for using facilitated transport membranes (FTMs) to decarbonize the coal-derived syngas from an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plant. The necessary process model and costing method have also been developed to assess the technical feasibility and process economics. In order to account for the carrier saturation phenomenon associated with FTMs, a homogeneous reactive diffusion model is integrated into the process model. The techno-economic study reveals that the mitigated carrier saturation upon bulk CO 2 removal can lead to appreciable increases in the CO 2 permeance and CO 2 /H 2 selectivity, which can be utilized to achieve 95% CO 2 purity and 95% H 2 recovery with a CO 2 /H 2 selectivity of 50 at the complete carrier saturation. FTMs with different facilitated transport characteristics can also be arranged in a hybrid membrane configuration to render a H 2 recovery of 99% and a cost of electricity of $118.5/MWh, which is 12.5% lower than that of the benchmark Selexol process. [Display omitted] • A single-stage membrane process has been designed for H 2 purification from an IGCC plant. • Carrier saturation phenomenon is considered in the membrane modeling. • The required facilitated transport feature has been identified to reach high H 2 recovery. • A hybrid membrane configuration can reach 99% H 2 recovery with low separation cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, CO 2 separation and capture have become the new bandwagon for polymer science and membrane research. This review presents the fundamentals of CO 2 /gas separation in polymeric membranes and discusses how these principles underpin opportunities and challenges for post-combustion carbon capture (CO 2 /N 2), hydrogen purification (CO 2 /H 2), and natural gas and biogas sweetening (CO 2 /CH 4). Emerging polymeric membrane materials are discussed, including a few polymers containing a high content of polar functional groups (i.e., ether oxygen-rich polymers and polymeric ionic liquids), shape-persisting glassy polymers (i.e., perfluoropolymers, thermally rearranged polymers, iptycene-containing polymers), and reactive polymers featuring facilitated transport. Moreover, the promising candidates for each CO 2 separation application are highlighted. Finally, the permeability-selectivity data reviewed were plotted against their 2008 and 2019 upper bounds. [Display omitted] • Fundamentals of CO 2 /gas membrane separation are presented. • Emerging polymers for CO 2 /gas separation are reviewed. • Promising candidates for each CO 2 separation application are highlighted. • Permeability-selectivity data reviewed were plotted against their upper bounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membranes for post-combustion CO 2 capture are required to have a high CO 2 permeance due to the limited driving force. For facilitated transport membranes synthesized with polyvinylamine (PVAm), a defect-free selective layer of <200 nm is usually required to render sufficient permeance with high CO 2 /N 2 selectivity. In order to meet such a demand through the knife-coating process, the coating solution needs to have a high viscosity at a relatively low concentration to minimize its penetration into the substrate. The demand was met by synthesizing PVAm with an ultrahigh molecular weight (MW) via inverse emulsion polymerization (IEP) in this study. Compared to solution polymerization, IEP isolates the reaction in inverse micelles suspended in a continuous organic phase, which allows excellent dissipation of the heat generated by the reaction and reduces gel formation drastically. The polymerization parameters, including monomer concentration, initiator concentration, and reaction temperature, were investigated to obtain the optimal MW of PVAm for membrane performance. As compared to solution polymerization, IEP enhanced the MW of PVAm from 1.2 to 12.7 MDa, which minimized the penetration of the coating solution into the substrate and hence the extra mass transfer resistance. The effects of MW and degree of hydrolysis of PVAm on the membrane transport properties were studied. Furthermore, by employing PVAm with a MW of 12.7 MDa to strengthen the polymer matrix, the loading of piperazine glycinate in the membrane was increased up to 85 wt.%. The resultant membrane achieved a CO 2 permeance of 839 GPU and a CO 2 /N 2 selectivity of 161 at the typical flue gas temperature of 57 °C. [Display omitted] • Ultrahigh MW (14.2 MDa) polyvinylamine (PVAm) synthesized via inverse emulsion polymerization. • Established Mark-Houwink relationship of synthesized PVAm in the high-MW range. • Obtained optimal MW and degree of hydrolysis for membrane performance. • Enabled higher loading of mobile carrier up to 85 wt% with synthesized PVAm for improved permeance. • Achieved CO 2 permeance of 839 GPU and CO 2 /N 2 selectivity of 161 at 57 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incomplete oxidation on the anode side of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) leaves a considerable amount of unused fuel (e.g., H 2 and CO) in the anode exhaust. In order to enhance fuel utilization, CO 2 -selective membranes can be employed to remove the CO 2 in the anode exhaust before returning the recovered fuel to the SOFC. In this study, two membrane processes have been designed for integration with a SOFC system, one with an air sweep (SOFC-MB air) and the other with a vacuum (SOFC-MB vac), on the permeate side. The transport properties of developed membranes were applied to the processes, and techno-economic analysis (TEA) was carried out to estimate the CO 2 removal cost of each process. The parameters investigated were the anode exhaust recycle percentage, stack fuel utilization of the SOFC, power output, as well as the area and transport properties of the membranes. Notably, at 100% anode exhaust recycle, the system fuel utilization can be boosted to >99% for both processes. By tuning the stack fuel utilization, a steam-to-carbon ratio above 1.5 is achievable. It was found that the SOFC-MB vac process can achieve a lower CO 2 removal cost than the SOFC-MB air process. For the SOFC-MB vac process, by considering the value of the recovered fuel, the CO 2 removal cost not only can be fully rebated by the recovered fuel value, but also there is a profit of about $38 per tonne of CO 2 captured. Moreover, by taking into account a CO 2 sale price of $40/tonne for enhanced oil recovery, a profit of about $66 per tonne of CO 2 captured may be achieved. Furthermore, more cost reduction or profit is attainable by developing membranes with higher CO 2 permeances. In addition, a zero-carbon electricity generation can be achieved by the SOFC-MB vac process. Image 1 • Membrane processes were designed for removing CO2 from SOFC anode exhaust recycle •System fuel utilization >99% is achievable with complete anode exhaust recycle •Vacuum-assisted membrane process is more cost-effective than using air sweep •CO2 removal cost is better than being fully rebated by considering fuel saving •Anode exhaust recycle of 100% enables zero-carbon electricity generation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A substrate with bicontinuous structure is attractive for thin-film composite (TFC) membrane synthesis due to its high surface porosity and well-interconnected bulk morphology. In this study, the vapor-induced phase separation (VIPS) of the casting solution comprising water, 2-pyrrolidone, and polyethersulfone (PES) was studied. By tuning the water addition in the casting solution and water vapor exposure time, the optimized substrate exhibited a bicontinuous surface with a high porosity of 24.2% (or 216/μm2 pore density), thereby mitigating pore restriction and showing a high CO 2 permeance of 2.94 × 105 GPU. Compared to the benchmark PES substrate with cellular surface pores and lower gas permeance, the use of the bicontinuous substrate led to a 12% increase in the CO 2 permeance of the TFC membrane. The mitigated pore restriction was further rationalized by a resistance-in-series model. The analysis of the lateral diffusion and substrate resistances indicates that an even higher surface pore density of the substrate is required to fully realize the potential of ultra-permeable, CO 2 -selective polymers in the TFC configuration. Lastly, the scalability of the VIPS process was demonstrated by the roll-to-roll fabrication of the optimized bicontinuous substrate with a width of 21ʺ and a length of >100′. [Display omitted] • Bicontinuous substrates were prepared by vapor-induced phase separation. • Highly porous surface reduced pore restriction for thin-film composite membrane. • The improved substrate led to 12% increase in composite membrane CO 2 permeance. • Scalable fabrication was demonstrated by a roll-to-roll process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, facilitated transport membranes comprising polyvinylamine (PVAm) as fixed carrier and different amino acid salts (AAS) as mobile carriers were synthesized for post-combustion capture. The AAS carriers were prepared by deprotonating alanine (Ala), lysine (Lys), and proline (Pro) with 2-(1-piperazinyl)ethylamine (PZEA). CO 2 separation performances of the membranes with these AAS carriers were compared, and the AAS effectiveness to facilitate transport of CO 2 was in the order of PZEA-Pro > PZEA-Lys > PZEA-Ala. The membrane comprising 35 wt% PVAm and 65 wt% PZEA-Pro at 57 °C rendered a promising CO 2 permeance of 936 GPU and a CO 2 /N 2 mixed gas selectivity of 193. When the PVAm was reduced to 15 wt%, i.e., its 20 wt% was replaced by the mobile carrier of PZEA-Sar (sarcosinate), the permeance further improved to 947 GPU with a remarkable CO 2 /N 2 selectivity of 210. Moreover, thermal gravimetric analysis showed a good thermal stability of the membrane, and membrane stability testing also gave stable transport performance. Furthermore, spectroscopic ellipsometry analysis exhibited a uniform membrane selective layer and an excellent agreement on the membrane thickness of ca. 170 nm measured independently by SEM. In addition, the membranes presented in this paper surpassed both the Robeson upper bound and the modified upper bound, indicating a great potential for CO 2 capture. [Display omitted] • Polyvinylamine/amino acid salt composite membranes were synthesized. • Mobile carrier effectiveness: PZEA-Pro > PZEA-Lys > PZEA-Ala. • The best membrane exhibited a good stability for 110 h at 57 °C. • The membrane performances surpass the CO 2 /N 2 upper bounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have been commercialized due to their ability to provide a reliable energy supply at a high efficiency. However, because of the incomplete oxidation on the anode side, there is still a considerable amount of unused fuel (e.g., H 2 and CO) present in the anode exhaust. A CO 2 -selective membrane was proposed to remove CO 2 in the anode exhaust and recycle the retained H 2 and CO back to the SOFC. The challenge lies in maintaining a high CO 2 /H 2 selectivity (>100) and a good CO 2 permeance (>100 GPU) at an operating temperature of 120 °C. Earlier studies have yielded facilitated transport membranes that employed tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAOH) as the mobile carrier for CO 2. However, a better stability of the membrane at a higher temperature of 130 °C was desired. In this study, fluoride- and hydroxide-containing species, including tetramethylammonium fluoride (TMAF), cesium fluoride (CsF), potassium fluoride (KF), and N , N -dimethylpiperidinium hydroxide (DMPOH), were examined for their potential of replacing TMAOH to facilitate CO 2 transport. The thermal stability of the quaternaryammonium-containing compounds was characterized by TGA and NMR, and the catalyzing activities of the fluoride-containing species were compared using NMR. Based on the characterization results, TMAF was chosen as the substitute for TMAOH, and the membrane synthesized with the optimal composition was tested for transport performances at various temperatures. In particular, a CO 2 permeance of 108 GPU and a CO 2 /H 2 selectivity of 106 were obtained at 120 °C. The TMAF-containing membrane also demonstrated an improved stability than the TMAOH-containing membrane at 130 °C. • CO 2 -selective membranes proposed to purify H 2 in anode exhaust of SOFC for recycle. • Improved thermal stability of mobile F- and OH-containing quaternaryammonium species. • Thermal stability of the quaternaryammonium species characterized by TGA and NMR. • F-containing membrane showed a CO 2 permenance of 108 GPU and a CO 2 /H 2 selectivity of 106 at 120 °C. • New membrane with TMAF was four times more stable than membrane containing TMAOH at 130 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substrate morphology has a significant effect on the CO 2 transport performance of a thin-film composite (TFC) membrane. In this study, a new mixed solvent comprising 2-pyrrolidone (2-PD) and 2-methoxyethanol (2-ME) was used to prepare polyethersulfone (PES) substrates with bicontinuous structure by water vapor-induced phase separation, followed by immersion in water as nonsolvent. Compared with the commonly used solvent, N -methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), the 2-PD/2-ME mixed solvent is more hydrophilic and can decrease the thermodynamic stability of the casting solution significantly. As a result, the phase separation was induced via the spinodal decomposition mechanism. The open morphology bestowed the optimized substrate with a very high CO 2 permeance of 133,226 ± 3870 GPU (1 GPU = 10–6 cm3(STP) s–1 cm–2 cmHg–1 = 3.3464 × 10-9 kg-mol s–1 m–2 Pa–1), which was 5 times more permeable than the baseline substrate synthesized with NMP. By using this new substrate, the prepared TFC membrane containing amines showed an increased CO 2 permeance of 908 ± 8 GPU at 57 °C, which was 48 GPU higher than that with the baseline substrate. Meanwhile, the CO 2 /N 2 selectivity was retained at 162 ± 4 at 57 °C. In addition, the good scalability of the new PES substrate was demonstrated by roll-to-roll fabrication of a 50′ long scale-up PES substrate with a width of 21ʺ. • PES substrate with bicontinuous structure was prepared using a new mixed solvent. • The mixed solvent comprised 2-pyrrolidone and 2-methoxyethanol. • The PES substrate exhibited a very high CO 2 permeance of 133,226 GPU. • The optimized morphology enhanced the CO 2 transport in a composite membrane. • The good scalability of PES substrate with bicontinuous structure was demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facilitated transport membranes for CO 2 capture from flue gas were scaled up and subsequently fabricated into spiral-wound modules. In order to increase the membrane area in each module conveniently, a multi-leaf rolling procedure utilizing a carrier layer was used, and the fabrication steps were documented in detail. The prototype module comprised up to 7 membrane leaves (each membrane leaf had dimensions of 14″ by 36″) and had a total membrane area of up to 2.94 m2. By controlling the spacer thicknesses, the packing density in each of the modules was enhanced, while the pressure drops on both feed and permeate sides were maintained below 1.5 psi/m. The fabricated membrane modules showed consistent transport results as the corresponding scale-up membranes. For instance, a CO 2 permeance of 1450 GPU and a CO 2 /N 2 selectivity of 185 were achieved with a simulated flue gas at 67 °C. Furthermore, the pressure drop and concentration polarization phenomenon were quantitatively correlated to the feed flow rate. The developed correlations were used to predict the separation performance of a full-size (8″ × 40″) module. • Fabrication procedure of multi-leaf spiral-wound module is detailed. • Suitable spacers were identified to achieve optimal module performance. • Modules each with 2.94 m2 area were attained through facile scale-up procedure. • Commercial-size module of 70.4 m2 is predicted based on rolling materials. • Pressure drop and concentration polarization were included in module modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A spiral-wound membrane module comprising face compression “O” rings for effective seal of gases was developed, including a spiral-wound membrane element, Plexiglas fiber-reinforced plastic tube, and membrane housing. The spiral-wound membrane modules demonstrated essentially no leakage. The concentration polarization phenomenon was observed at a dry feed gas flow rate of less than 1000 sccm before humidification. Hence, the performances of the spiral-wound membrane modules were evaluated using both dry feed and sweep gas flow rates each at 1000 sccm before humidification at the typical flue gas temperature of 57 °C. The feed and sweep gas pressures were at 1.5 and 1 psig, respectively. By using either a simulated flue gas or an actual flue gas, the spiral-wound membrane modules showed similar performance results with a CO 2 permeance of greater than 800 GPU and a CO 2 /N 2 selectivity of more than 140, which were essentially identical to the results obtained from the flat-sheet membrane used for the module fabrication and tested in laboratory with the simulated flue gas. The pressure drops of the modules were satisfactory, i.e., less than 1.5 psi/m. During the field test using the actual flue gas at the National Carbon Capture Center in Wilsonville, Alabama, the performances of the modules revealed some unexpected issues including the feed spacer indentations on the membrane selective layer and the leakage at glue lines. These issues were resolved by improving the spiral-wound membrane module fabrication using a smoother feed spacer and a longer glue curing time. The field test results of the modules have shown their good potential for the post-combustion CO 2 capture from coal-fired power plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane technology is a cost-effective and energy-efficient separation process for CO 2 removal from flue gas. Recently, there have been remarkable advances in the development of polyvinylamine (PVAm)/piperazine glycinate (PG)-containing facilitated transport membranes for CO 2 removal. The advanced PVAm/PG-containing membranes have demonstrated desirably high CO 2 /N 2 selectivity of greater than 140 and good CO 2 permeance of > 700 GPU (1 GPU = 10 −6 cm 3 (STP)/(s cm 2 cmHg)) at the typical flue gas temperature of 57 °C. This work investigated the scale-up fabrication of the PVAm/PG-containing membranes and demonstrated it successfully. Effective and efficient continuous fabrication of the membranes in a roll-to-roll manner was developed using the thin-film coating (TFC) assembly of the pilot-scale machine at Ohio State. The design of the TFC assembly was improved and several operating parameters were optimized for the fabrication with desirable membrane thickness and gas transport performance. A total of > 2000 feet long and 14-in. wide membranes with a selective layer thickness of < 200 nm was successfully fabricated. In addition, small representative samples taken from the scale-up membranes were tested, showing the CO 2 permeance and CO 2 /N 2 selectivity at 57 °C in reasonably good agreement with those obtained from the lab-synthesized membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]