Olefin Selective Ag-Exchanged X-Type Zeolite Membrane for Propylene/Propane and Ethylene/Ethane Separation

Motomu Sakai; Yasuhito Sasaki; Taisuke Tomono; Masahiro Seshimo; Masahiko Matsukata

doi:10.1021/acsami.8b20151

Olefin Selective Ag-Exchanged X-Type Zeolite Membrane for Propylene/Propane and Ethylene/Ethane Separation

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2019 Jan 30;11(4):4145-4151. doi: 10.1021/acsami.8b20151. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

Authors

Motomu Sakai¹, Yasuhito Sasaki², Taisuke Tomono², Masahiro Seshimo¹, Masahiko Matsukata^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation , Waseda University , 3-4-1 Okubo , Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555 , Japan.
² Department of Applied Chemistry , Waseda University , 3-4-1 Okubo , Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555 , Japan.
³ Advanced Research Institute for Science and Engineering , Waseda University , 3-4-1 Okubo , Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555 , Japan.

PMID: 30615839
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b20151

Abstract

Propylene/propane and ethylene/ethane separation was examined with Ag-exchanged X-type zeolite membrane (Ag-X membrane). The Na-X membrane was prepared on a porous tubular α-alumina support by a secondary growth method. The resulting Na-X membrane was ion-exchanged by using AgNO₃ aq. Olefin selectivities in both mixtures were markedly improved after the ion exchange from Na to Ag cation. The Ag-X membrane exhibited a maximum propylene selectivity of 55.4 with a permeance of 4.13 × 10^-8 mol m^-2 s^-1 Pa^-1 at 353 K for a propylene/propane (50:50) mixture. This membrane also exhibited a maximum ethylene selectivity of 15.9 with a permeance of 9.04 × 10^-8 mol m^-2 s^-1 Pa^-1 at 303 K for an ethylene/ethane (50:50) mixture. We consider that the strong interaction between olefin and Ag cation plays an important role for the appearance of such high selectivity of olefin.

Keywords: FAU; ethylene; gas separation; membrane; propylene; zeolite.