Dry Glass Reference Perturbation Theory Predictions of the Temperature and Pressure Dependent Separations of Complex Liquid Mixtures Using SBAD-1 Glassy Polymer Membranes

Membranes (Basel). 2022 Jul 12;12(7):705. doi: 10.3390/membranes12070705.

Abstract

In this work we apply dry glass reference perturbation theory (DGRPT) within the context of fully mutualized diffusion theory to predict the temperature and pressure dependent separations of complex liquid mixtures using SBAD-1 glassy polymer membranes. We demonstrate that the approach allows for the prediction of the membrane-based separation of complex liquid mixtures over a wide range of temperature and pressure, using only single-component vapor sorption isotherms measured at 25 °C to parameterize the model. The model was then applied to predict the membrane separation of a light shale crude using a structure oriented lumping (SOL) based compositional model of petroleum. It was shown that when DGRPT is applied based on SOL compositions, the combined model allows for the accurate prediction of separation performance based on the trend of both molecular weight and molecular class.

Keywords: glassy polymer; membranes; petrochemical; theory.

Grants and funding

This research was funded by ExxonMobil Engineering and Technology Company.