Design assessment of polymeric membranes modules to separate carbon dioxide from a binary mixture with methane

Abstract

This work presents the performance assessment of diverse membrane arrangements to separate carbon dioxide (CO2) from a binary mixture with methane (CH4). For the purpose, we employ computer modeling to represent different polymeric modules, which are able to split an inlet CH4/CO2 gaseous mixture into sweet and acid products. Aim of the process is to achieve a high-purity CO2 permeate, reducing the CH4 losses. Novelty, we compare the performances of different existing commercial polymers, available for gas industries: cellulose acetate, polycarbonates, polyamides, polyamide-imides, polyamides thin-film composites, among others. The importance of the use of different materials is the possibility to replicate total membrane area, transport properties, and operating conditions. Finally, a comparative and integral discussion of the simulations considers three fundamental aspects: hydrocarbon recovery, residual gas quality, and compression power to carry out the separation.