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Membrane Technology Introduction SulzerSulzer ChemtechChemtech Membrane Technology Introduction Process Technology Sulzer Chemtech established the new business unit Process Technology in Allschwil by combining its proven process solution capabilities for distil- lation, membrane separation and crystallization with the activities of the recently acquired company Kühni Ltd, Allschwil, Switzerland. As an expert in thermal, diffusional and membrane separation techno- logy for the separation and purification of aqueous and organic mixtures, Process Technology provides process engineering services and designs, manufactures and supplies process equipment, as well as turn-key modu- lar plants to the process industry, with a focus on the pharmaceutical and fine chemical industry. The main fields of activities comprise – Engineering services such as conceptual process design, feasibility studies, plant optimizations including process validation in the test center – Testing including process development, feasibility and scale-up in a well equipped, state-of-the-art test center – Specialized process equipment – Complete separation process plants, in particular modular plants (skids) Detail Engineering – Equipment design Skid Assembly – Steel structure Project Management – Skid Layout 3D-model – Equipment – Equipment purchasing – Piping Isometrics – Piping, Valving – Expediting – Process Automation – Instrumentation – Quality assurance – Cabling/Junction Box – Insulation Site & Start-up Assistance – Supervision Basic Engineering – Commissioning – Process description From first – Operator training – Process flow diagrams – Piping and instrument diagrams concept to Data Analysis from Operation – Control philosophy guaranteed plant – Validation – Equipment specifications – Troubleshooting – Layout performance – Preliminary operating instruction Test Centre – Feasibility tests – Membrane screening Study – Bench scale testing Process Design – Feasibility – Pilot scale testing – Expertise – Conceptual design – Hybrid installations – Process simulation – Membrane separation simulation 2 Membrane Processes Membrane processes are common Hybrid System: Distillation – Reverse Osmosis – Evaporation place in industrial applications; they replace evaporation and distillation High Boilers Low Boilers at improved economics. Low Boilers Salts Novel hybrid separation concepts Stripping with unique overall performance Condensation characteristics are possible by Steam Evaporation combining membranes with thermal Cooling and/or extractive separation tech- Water Heating Medium High Boilers Medium nologies. Process Technology is Salts able to engineer and supply hybrid Salts High Boilers systems as one coherent unit using its expertise in both membrane and RO Water thermal separation technologies. Benefits of Membrane Processes – Improved economics through - Low investment cost - Optimised operating cost – Reduction of product degradation – Design of novel process solutions We offer the following membrane technologies: Aqueous Systems Organic Systems Suspended and emulsified solids Large molecules Yeast Cut off > 200 kDa Clarification Pressure 0.5 – 3 bar Cut off > 0.3 kDa Microfiltration (MF) Organoselective Nanofiltration (OSN) Pressure 8 – 30 bar Small molecules Colloids Proteins Bacteria Organic solvents Cut off 1 – 200 kDa Pressure 1 – 16 bar Ultrafiltration (UF) Pressure 2 – 10 bar Pervaporation (PV) Divalents Water Sugars Methanol Concentration Dextrans 2- 3- SO4 , PO4 Nanofiltration (NF) Cut off 0.1 – 1 kDa Pressure 8 – 30 bar Key application areas in organic systems: Monovalents – Dehydration of organic solvents like alcohols, Salts ketones, esters, ethers, etc. Glucose 2- NO3 – Methanol removal from organic mixtures Cut off <100 Da Reverse Osmosis (RO) Pressure 10 – 80 bar – Aroma extraction Purification – Extraction of valuable volatiles Water Solvents – Separation of higher molecular weight components from organic solvents 3 Pervaporation Pervaporation is a thermal membrane separation process to remove wa- ter or methanol from organic solvents. Volatile fluids can be continuously treated – the permeate passes selectively through the membranes and is continuously removed under vacuum. This process requires neither a regeneration step nor the introduction of an additional fluid. Therefore, further separation steps and potential envi- ronmental impacts are avoided. Process Technology has a proprietary range of PERVAP™ polymer com- posite membranes. A cooperation with Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuild- ing Ltd., Japan, enables us to also offer world class inorganic pervapo- ration membranes. This flexibility allows the implementation of the most suitable membrane type for the economic and reliable operation of your process. Characteristics of Sulzer’s PERVAP™ membranes These membranes use an active polyvinyl alcohol separating layer, dif- ferently cross-linked to adapt the membrane separation performance. Membrane Type Typical Application PERVAP™ 1201 A strongly crosslinked membrane used primarily for dehydration of reaction mixtures, up to 80% water PERVAP™ 4101 A standard membrane, suitable for most dehydration applications PERVAP™ 1210 The first high flux PERVAP™ membrane, developed for the dehydration of alcohols, esters and ethers PERVAP™ 1510 The high flux membrane especially tailored for the dehydration of C3 and higher alcohols PERVAP™ 1256 The first methanol selective membrane to remove methanol from less polar organics PERVAP™ 1255 A membrane with tailored separation properties, suit- able for simultaneous removal of water and methanol PERVAP™ 4060 An organophilic membrane to remove VOCs and aroma from aqueous solutions Methanol Azeotropes 1 0.8 0.6 Process intensification – Separation of methanol from 0.4 methyl acetate Methyl Acetate The world’s first vapor permeation 0.2 THF unit for this application was in- fraction [organic] Vapour MTBE DMC stalled in 2000, where it replaces 0 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 an extractive distillation step with 0604 4400-4 water as solvent. Liquid fraction organic [g/g] 4 Examples for Pervaporation Dehydration of (bio)ethanol Vapor Permeation System Ethanol Recycle Dehydration of ethanol used as fuel, Pervaporation or as solvent in the pharmaceutical Modules industry, is the largest application for pervaporation and vapor per- meation. Process optimisation is done ac- cording to local requirements and the available utilities. We also make use of our long term 80 – 95 % experience with heat integrated dis- Water Ethanol tillation equipment. > 99.7 % Ethanol Solvent recovery Typical scope of supply Combined or hybrid solutions im- Solvents in the pharmaceutical, fine – Membrane screening chemical, and other processes are prove the competiveness of our routinely treated by pervaporation: pervaporation processes against – Membrane pilot testing alcohols, ethers, esters and ke- classic routes in terms of econo- – Engineering, procurement tones as well as mixtures thereof. mics and yield. and skid assembly – Process guarantee Vapor Permeation – Hybrid System VP – Supervision during start-up – Capacity expansion Pervaporation Modules Feed Retentate Vacuum Cooling Medium Water Permeate Process Technology’s pervapora- tion systems feature – No introduction of additional – Vapor permeation processes components – complete water/ combined with distillation as ef- methanol removal irrespective of fective hybrids to reduce capital azeotrope formation and operational costs – Flexible processes – the sys- – Skid assembled standardised tems can be designed to treat a units for fast delivery and instal- variety of solvent mixtures lation in minimum hook-up time – The choice of continuous or batch pervaporation or vapor per- meation depending on the duty 5 Pressure Driven Membrane Technologies Process Technology is the expert in thermal and extractive separation technologies, and includes pressure driven membrane technologies, for the treatment of both organic solvents and water based liquids, in its core industries. The combination of these technologies to hybrid processes with evapora- tion or extraction is especially attractive because of substantial energy savings, lower investment and smaller footprints. Typical applications Monomer / Polymer Separation and Concentration – Concentration of temperature sensitive products and API – Recovery of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts 8 % Monomer 2 % Polymer – Clarification and concentration of organic and mineral acids UF or NF NF or RO – Monomer/polymer separation – Decolorisation of solvents 0.2 % 24 % Solvent Monomer Monomer back to – Removal of unwanted compo- 20 % 0.24 % process nents in solution or suspension Polymer Polymer – Recovery of spent solvents – Solvent exchange Processes with pressure driven membranes feature – Low energy demand – Low processing temperature – Separation independent of vapor liquid equilibria – Low investment cost due to simple and compact systems – Small footprint and low height requirements – Easy scale-up © Berghof © Evonik In order to be able to supply the most appropriate membrane and module configuration required by the different applications, Process Technology cooperates closely with major reliable membrane producers worldwide. 6 Services & Test Center For the separation of mixtures a range of different membrane processes Equipment can be employed. Proper membrane selection is important since it im- – Bench scale units for pervapo- pacts the cost of the installation, the plant performance and the membrane ration and pressure-driven lifetime. Testing is required to identify
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