Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
4,737,166
Apr. 12, 1988
55/16X
. . . .. 55/16 X
SOLVEN'LSWOLLEN MEMBRANES
55/16 X
55/ 16
[73] Assignee: Bend Research, Inc., Bend, Oreg. [21] Appl. NO.: 947,996 [22] Filed: Dec. 30, 1986
[51] [52] Int. Cl.4 ............................................ .. B01D 53/22 US. Cl. ......................................... .. 55/ 16; 55/68;
Fri-ma? Examiner-Robert Spitlel' Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Chernoff, Vilhauer, McClung & stenzel [57] ABSTRACT
A composite immobilized liquid membrane suitable for acid gas Scrubbing is disclosed_ The membrane is a
_
[58]
[56]
3,335,545 3,396,510
3501
3,566,580
References Cited
us PATENT DOCUMENTS
8/1967 Robb 61; al. ........................... .. 55/16 8/1968 wm'd m at al---- ~- 55/16
3/1970
3/1971
(ad' m - ~ - - ~ - - L1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- - e - -- 55/16
. . . . .. 55/16
3,525,734 12/1971
3,930,990 l/1976
.... .. 55/16 X
3 Y N T H ET I C
NATURAL
REPLENISHING
SOLVENT STORAGE
HEAT
EXCHANGER
GAS
T
.
7
COAL GAS
HE AT
METHANATOR
EXCHANGER I
FROM SHIFT
CONVERT
I
GASILIQUID|
ER
CONTACTOR . l
I |
PEEIRAEAXTE E M
PERMEATE
TO SULFUR RECOVERY
|_ _ __ _J
NITROGEN
- US. Patent
Apr. 12,1988
Sheet 1 of2
4,737,166
REPLENlSHlNG
soLvENT STORAGE
HEAT
EXCHANGER
PURIFIED
M E T HANA T O R
I'-
$_Ql-V_EN_T_BElUB'L __J
4 l l
CONDENSED
GAS
EXCHANGER ;
FROM COAL SHIFT GAS
HEAT
STREAM
RESIDUE
lr
CONVERTER
GAS/LIQUID|
I I
CONTACTOR |
PE?g'EkTE s E M
PERMEATE To SULFUR
RECOVERY
L____l
NITROGEN
POWER OUTPUT
CLEAN
1
COMBINED-CYCLE POWER PLANT
MEMBRANE
COAL GAS Q
+H2S
AIR
y
PERMEATE
1 '
HEAT
FIG.2
CLAUS _
EXCHANGER
A|R+H2S
PLANT
'SULFUR
US. Patent
Apr. 12,1988
Sheet 2 of 2
4,737,166
I000
800
600
C02
FLUX
400
200
20
4O
6O
80
I00
PIC-3.3
1
ACID GAS SCRUBBING BY COMPOSITE SOLVENT-SWOLLEN MEMBRANES
4,737,166
The government has rights in this invention under 5 power generation. Removal of hydrogen sul?de from Department of Energy Contract No. DE-ACO3 such coal gas streams is essential to minimize atmo 83ER80035. spheric pollution by sulfur dioxide formed during com bustion. Bulk removal of carbon dioxide is neither nec BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Removal of the acid gases carbon dioxide and/or
sul?de from coal gas process streams while leaving carbon monoxide, hydrogen and methane in the stream. Low-Btu coal gas is produced at lower pressure (about 300 psi) as an alternative fuel for combined-cycle
essary nor desirable, because expansion of this inert gas in the turbine contributes to its power-generating ef?
novel and ef?cient means of selectively removing hy drogen sul?de from a mixture of hydrogen sul?de and
carbon dioxide. It is a further object of this invention to provide a 25 novel and ef?cient means of selectively separating car and raw gas is contacted with a countercurrent ?ow of bon dioxide from a mixture of carbon dioxide and hy
drogen.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a
high pressure towers, desorption in low pressure gener ators or stripping columns, extensive pumping for sol a novel means of cleaning both coal gas and natural gas. vent recirculation, and the generation of substantial These and other objects are accomplished by the amounts of steam for stripping. It is estimated that 35 present invention, which is summarized and particularly nearly a third of the cost of producing gaseous fuels described below. such as hydrogen and methane from coal is attributable to coal gas cleanup by such processes. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Removal of hydrogen sul?de from coal gas with an
microporous hydrophilic polymer membrane was made by Matson et al. and reported in 16 Ind. Eng. Chem. Proc. Des. Dev., 370 (1977), the extent of the removal
plary embodiment of the present invention for acid gas removal from high-Btu coal gas. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating another
being limited to 15 to 30%. Hydrogen sul?de was also 45 hydrogen sul?de removal from low-Btu coal gas. removed from a mixture of hydrogen sul?de and nitro FIG. 3 is a graph showing a relationship between the gen by Heyd et al. and reported in 2 J. Memb. Sci. 375 composition of a membrane of the present invention and (1977), the removal being effected by unsupported vi ?ux of one acid gas therethrough.
mance characteristics.
4,737,166
amine.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION There are broadly two aspects to the present inven
tion. One aspect comprises novel composite immobi lized liquid membranes and the other aspect comprises
methods for the selective removal of the acid gases hydrogen sul?de and carbon dioxide from process streams containing such gases.
done,
N-cyclohexyl-2-pyrrolidone,
S-methyl-N
The novel composite immobilized liquid membranes 0 Z-pyrrolidone. Speci?c examples of lactone solvents having the characteristics mentioned above include dodecanolac ponents: (l) a solvent-swollen polymer supported upon
the surface of or in the pores of (2) a microporous poly meric support. The solvent-swollen polymer is compatible with and
swellable by at least one solvent selected from a class of
methyl-gamma-butyrolactone, gamma-valerolactone,
15
epsilon-caprolactone,
valerolactone,
delta-decalactone,
3-methyl
and
5,S-dimethyl-ene-butyrolactone,
gamma-decalactone.
Specific examples of ester solvents having such char acteristics include dimethylmalonate, diethylmalonate,
diisodecylfumarate, dinonylglutarate and di-n (cal/cm3atm). Such solvents may include alcohols, butylisosebacate. amines, amides, carbamates, carbonates, esters, ethers, 25 Speci?c examples of carbonate solvents having such lactams, lactones, morpholines, nitriles, phosphates, characteristics include propylene carbonate, bis(nonyl phosphines, phosphites, pyridines, sulfones, sulfoxides,
: .many cases, yield a membrane having performance , characteristics superior to those using a single solvent.
alkyl and aryl-susbstituted phosphates with alkyl- and aryl-substituted pyrrolidones, e.g., trialkylphosphates
and alkylpyrrolidones; a speci?c example is tri-Z-ethyl hexylphosphate with N-cyclohexylpyrrolidone. An i~ other preferred mixture of solvents comprises dialk I; ylphthalates and alkyl-substituted pyrrolidones, e.g.,
, dioctylphthalate and N-cyclohexyl-Z-pyrrolidone.
40
A preferred class of such amine solvents includes wratertiary amine solvents of the general formula NR3 wherein R is selected from any of alkyl, substituted
phosphite, tripropylphosphite, triisoamylphosphite, tri phenylphosphite, and trinonylphenylphosphite. Speci?c examples of pyridine solvents having such characteristics include 4-(3-pentyl)pyridine, 5-(4
pyridyl)-5-(2-butenyl)-2,7-nonadiene, 4-(5-nonyl)pyri
45
alkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, aryl or substi tuted aryl, the alkyl groups containing from 1 to 20
carbon atoms.
dine, and 4-(4-methylpiperidino)pyridine. Speci?c examples of amide solvents having such characteristics include N,N-dimethylformamide, N,N
50
Speci?c examples of nitrile solvents having such characteristics include valeronitrile, octylnitrile,
phenylacetonitrile.
55
Speci?c examples of alcohol solvents having such characteristics include sec-butylalcohol, l-pentanol,
heptanol, l-octanol, l-dodecanol, cyclohexanol, allylal cohol, benzylalcohol, Z-ethylhexanol, triethyleneg lycol, polyethyleneglycol-ZOO, rn-cresol, and nonylphe
nol.
Substituents on the alkyl chains, the cycloalkyl rings and the aryl groups in both the tertiary amine and pyr rolidone formulas generally include nonreactive groups such as hydroxy, amino, halide, and ether groups. Spe ci?c examples of preferred tertiary amine solvents with 65 such characteristics include octadecyldimethylamine,
Speci?c examples of thiol solvents having such char acteristics include dodecylthiol, hexadecylthiol, benzyl thiol, and butylthiol. Speci?c examples of thioether solvents having such characteristics include dihexylsul?de, didecylsul?de, diphenylsul?de, thiophene, and tetrahydrothiophene. Speci?c examples of sulfoxide solvents having such
characteristics include dimethylsulfoxide and tetrame~
tri-N-octylamine,
dodecyldimethylarnine,
tr-i-n
thylenesulfoxide.
4,737,166
ates.
6
'
Speci?c examples of sulfone solvents having such characteristics include 2,4-dimethylsulfolane, 3-methyl
2-acetylbutyrolactone, 4-[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]mor
pholine, N,N-dimethylaminopropyl-pyrrolidone, ane
the novel composite membranes of the present inven tion. Exemplary suitable methods of crosslinking in
clude crosslinking by radical generators such as perox ides (e.g., ammonium peroxydisulfate and dicumyl per 'oxide) and diazo compounds (e.g., 2,2-azobis
thanol, l, 1,3,3-tetramethylurea, N-cyclohexyl-p toluenesulfonamide, and thiomorpholine. Speci?c examples of ether solvents having such char acteristics include tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether,
line-1,2-pr0panediol.
Speci?c examples of phosphines having such charac teristics include trioctylphosphine oxide, triphenylphos phine, and triphenylphosphine dibromide.
Speci?c examples of thioamides having such charac teristics include thioacetar'nide, thiobenzamide, thi oacetanilide and l,l'-thiocarbonyldiimidazole.
in its monomeric form, the crosslinking taking place simultaneously with polymerization. The microporous polymeric support of the composite
25
Speci?c examples of thioesters having such charac teristics include gamma-thiobutyrolactone, thioca
membrane of the present invention may be generally described as being resistant to attack by the solvents of the present invention, as having surface pores in the range of from about 0.001 to about 1.0 micron in diame ter, and as having suf?cient tensile strength to with
stand transmembrane pressure differentials of at least
dates include polyamides, especially the polycondensa tion product of hexamethylenediamine with adipic acid, or nylon 66, cellulose acetate, crosslinked polysulfone,
35
thylurea.
By a polymer compatible with the class of solvents noted is meant, generally, a polymer that retains such solvents in a single phase, i.e., the polymer forms a homogeneous mixture with the solvent. Objective tests for determining polymer-solvent compatibility are known in the art. One such test, popularly known as the
vent, and observing the mixture to determine whether 45 When the solvent-swollen membrane is on the surface there is either phase separation or bloomingthe of the support, a particularly preferred form of the phenomenon of the solvent in question oozing out of the solvent-swollen polymer is that of a thin (from about 0.1 polymer. If either type of separation does occur, the test to about 20 microns) asymmetric ?lm. By asymmetric is considered to show that the-polymer and solvent are ?lm is meant a microporous ?lm with a generally non not compatible. porous .skin over the top thereof. By a polymer swellable by the class of solvents of Referring now to the drawings, the removal of acid the present invention is meant one that can imbibe the gases from high-Btu-containing coal gas in a variation solvent in question to the extent that the polymer com of Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG) process is illustrated in prises from about 20 to about 90 wt% of the swollen FIG. 1, while FIG. 2 illustrates the removal of hydro polymer while at the same time allowing homogeneous gen sul?de from low-Btu-containing coal gas in combi distribution thereof throughout the polymer. Under nation with a Combined-Cycle Power Plant and a Claus such circumstances the polymer typically swells or Plant. increases in volume from about 20 to about l000%. In the SNG process, the concentration of methane Suitable solvent-swellable polymers may be broadly gas from the off gas of coal gasi?cation is enriched in a described as slightly polar polymers. Examples of 60 series of steps to produce a clean, high-Btu-containing classes of polymers found to be compatible with and gas. The crude gaseous byproduct of coal gasi?cation is swellable by the solvents of the present invention in a high pressure (on the order of 1000 psi) mixture of clude polymers and compatible copolymers of any of steam, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, polyvinylpyrrolidones, polymethacrylates, polyamides, methane and trace quantities of hydrogen sul?de and polysulfonamides, polysulfones, cellulose acetate, re 65 nitrogen. This mixture is passed through a shift con
7
required in the subsequent methanation reaction
4,737,166
nylpyrrolidone (PVP), 1.15 g of ethoxylated Bisphenol A-diacrylate (a crosslinking agent), 0.1 g of dicumyl peroxide (a polymerization initiator), 0.1 g of 2,2dime thoxy-2-phenylacetophenone (an activator for the poly
merization initiator), and 2.0 g N-methyl-Z-pyrrolidone (NMP). A thin ?lm (approximately 50 microns) of this solution was cast onto a glass plate and irradiated with
is passed through a heat exchanger to cool it to an inter mediate temperature, for example, about 30 C. above ambient, and thence through a gas/liquid contactor
where the stream is saturated with solvent of the same
ultraviolet light for one minute, causing partial poly merization of the NMP-swollen polymer, whereupon it
was contacted with a microporous polymeric support
type with which the membrane of the present invention is swollen. Solvent is provided both from a storage
source and from recycled condensed solvent, as ex
plained further below. The so-saturated gas feed stream is directed against the membrane of the present inven
tion at substantially the same pressure it leaves the shift converter (about 800 to 1200 psia). The membrane sepa
of nylon 66 approximately 125 microns in thickness sold under the trade name Ultipor NDG and made by Pall Corporation of Glen Cove, NY. After contact with the
brane was removed from the glass plate, carrying the NMP-swollen PVP crosslinked polymer with it and
Hz, CH4, CO, N2 and H25 as major components (ex cluding water vapor) is split by the membrane unit into
ing solvent vapor from the membrane, the permeate
stream is rich in concentrations of those gaseous compo nents to which the membrane is more permeable, that is,
two streams on either side of the membrane-a perme 25 sep Mfg. Ltd. of Bend, Oregon was partially hydro ate stream and a residue stream. In addition to contain~
ylamine in water. The solution was constantly agitated during the hydrolysis reaction for six hours. The par tially hydrolyzed strips were removed from the solution
and rinsed in running water for two hours. Water was
1 the hydrocarbon gas CH4 and its mutually reactive components H2 and CO. A sweep stream composed of
an inert gas is in constant contact with the permeate side 35
then removed from them by solvent exchange with ?rst isopropanol and then hexane for 20 minutes each, fol
of the membrane to dilute and entrain the permeate gases and separate them from the process system. Pres sure of approximately 1 atm on the permeate side of the
least 100 psi less than on the feed stream side. In connec 40 imbibe up to 400 wt% of the solvent with no phase
The CA support prepared as outlined above was then an off gas-from an air separation unit (not shown) that coated with a solvent-swollen crosslinked polyurethane provides oxygen to the coal gas gasi?er. Each of the permeate and residue streams may be cooled in heat 45 gel prepared as follows: 20 wt% of the monomeric precursor components of Uralite 6115 containing an exchangers whereby the solvent vapor in the streams is initiator, a catalyst, and a methyl-diisocyanate crosslink condensed and thereafter returned to the gas/liguid ing agent was mixed with 80 wt% N-cyclohexyl-Z-pyr contactor for recycling. rolidone and placed in an oven at 100 C. for six hours. As illustrated in FIG. 2, a low-Btu-containing coal
gas stream at about 300 psia, useful in a Combined
mixture was diluted to about 35 wt% with toluene and Cycle Power Plant is similarly cooled to an intermedi sprayed onto the cellulose acetate support with an air ate temperature in a heat exchanger, the stream being brush to a thickness of about 15 microns. The so-coated split by a membrane separator into a permeate stream support was covered with aluminum foil and left at relatively rich in H28 and a residue stream containing room temperature for 24 hours before use. the remainder of the gaseous components and being relatively rich in CO2. In this case, the permeate sweep EXAMPLES 3-6 stream may comprise air, which entrains the H28 and The gas permeation properties of the composite gel advantageously helps oxidize HZS to elemental sulfur in coated membrane of Example 2 were studied with re a Claus plant. Pressure on the permeate side of the membrane is maintained at least 100 psi lower than that 60 spect to carbon dioxide, hydrogen, hydrogen sul?de and methane. Discs of the membrane 47 mm in diameter on the feed side, and preferably on the order of 14 to 20
9
TABLE I
Ex. Flux Selectivity
4,737,166
Cog/CH4
25.8 16.3
10
N0.
3 4
CO2
116 91
HZ
13.8 7.9
5
6
87
125
5.9
721
5.1
9.8
14.7
5.4
8.3
7.3
140
92
17.1
12.8
23.3 . 909
As is apparent from the above data, the composite 10 brane was maintained at 20 psia. The results are shown in Table III. membranes of the present invention showed high selec tivity toward carbon dioxide over hydrogen, hydrogen . . TABLE III
sul?de over carbon dioxide, hydrogen sul?de over _ i l
cmpsmn :92?
Component
c0;
Hz
P
14.4
f
ermea lng
Feed
1
Coal Gas
0.086
1'1 1e
Gases
73.7
4.41
EXAMPLE 7
.
15
22
11
23
CO
19
20
3.4
CH4
56
T1358!
Flow Rate
13::
250
13(1)
233
100's
17
(106 SCFD)
EXAMPLES 9-13
2nd havmg a?fombmed surigce if; of 133x106 ft ' IQSSHITC an 28 psia PFmIEIZe 5 f 0 imem. rnglw?s mamtame at ems ts ares Ownm a e '
TABLE II Composition(vo1%)
Component
HZS
Other highly permeable and ac1d-gas selective com posite gel-coated membranes were prepared in the same manner as in Example 2 using the solvents noted in
30 Table IV, except that the CA support membrane was
Feed
0.5
permeating Gases
>049
not partially hydrolized (an unnecessary step in these examples that is otherwise performed to improve the resistance of the CA support membrane toward swell
ing by certain solvents, such as N-cyclohexyl-2-pyrroli
35 done (NCHP))_ . _
CO2
HZ
33.3
32-2
23.1
2.4
43~5
32.0
78.0
9-0
10.4
g?4
N2
ml
5'5
1'5
2'5
0.3
08
Ex.
TABLE IV
Flux Selectivity
N0. Solvent
9 dipentyl-
CO2
480
H2
-
Cog/CH4
44.9
phthalate
10 4(4'methyl340 350 3090 8.8 0.97 9.1 350 39
piperidino)
> pyridine
ll anethole 270 7.5 - -~ 36
12
diethyl-
360
-~
10.4
34.6
phthalate
N-dodecyl-
270
250
990
7.0
1.1
3.7
140
39
pyrrolidone
Total Flow Rate 100 670.5 100 395.5 100 275
(O6 SCFD)
The N; sweep stream ?ow rate of 3086 X 10 SCFD adds to the total ?ow rate of
55
_
EXAMPLE 14
_ _ A
the penneate.
A simulated study was conducted for 92% removal of H28 from a low-Btu-containing coal gas feed stream at 300 psia and 20 C. and having the volumetric composition noted in Table III (omitting water vapor). The
tested as described in Examples 9-13 using swelling-sol vent mixtures of from 20 wt% to 75 wt% dioctylphtha late (DOP) in NCHP. The results are shown in FIG. 3 with flux reported in the same units as in Examples 3-6. feed stream in the study was split into a permeate and a 65 As seen in FIG. 3, the optimum DOP/NCI-IP solvent residue stream by the same type of membrane modules ratio for a high COg-?ux gel-membrane is 1:1. The high as in Example 7 having a combined surface area of Cg-?ux gel-membrane also gave a high CO2/ CH4 sepa 2.57>< 104 ftZ. Pressure on the permeate side of the mem ration factor of 27, making it a very useful membrane
4,737,166
11 -
12
3. The membrane of claim 1 wherein the solvent is a EXAMPLE 15 solvent of the formula NR3 or A membrane was prepared and tested as described in 5
Examples 9l3, using a swelling solvent mixture of 75 wt% tri-Z-ethylhexylphosphate (TEHP) in NCHP. This membrane exhibited high ?uxes for CO2 and H28
wherein R is alkyl and substituted alkyl containing from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, aryl and substituted aryl, R is alkyl and substituted alkyl containing from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, the substitu
ents in both R and R groups being selected from the
utes to allow evaporation of the toluene and coagula tion of the polymer/NCl-IP into a rubbery gel ?lm
about 1.1 mil thick. The gel ?lm was removed from the
5. The membrane of claim 1 wherein said solvent glass plate and placed on the surface of a microporous 25 swollen polymer is contained within the pores of said cellulose acetate support membrane of the type de microporous polymeric support. scribed in Example 2.
6. The membrane of claim 1 wherein said solvent swollen polymer is in the form of a thin ?lm on the
7. The membrane of claim 1 wherein said solvent
for carbon dioxide, 430 for hydrogen, and 480 for nitro
gen; selectivities were 9.0 for CO2/H2 and 81 for
ployed in the foregoing speci?cation are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is aryl-substituted phosphate is selected from trialkyl- and no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of 45 triaryl-substituted phosphates. excluding equivalents of the features shown and de 10. The membrane of claim 9 wherein said solvent scribed or portions thereof, it being recognized that the comprises a mixture of tri-Z-ethylhexylphosphate and scope of the invention is de?ned and limited only by the N-cyclohexylpyrrolidone. claims which follow. 11. The membrane of claim 1 wherein said solvent is What is claimed is: selected from N-methyl-Z-pyrrolidone, N -cyclohexyl-2 1. A composite immobilized liquid membrane com
prising: .
(a) a microporous polymeric support; and (b) a solvent-swollen polymer compatible with and
swellable by at least one solvent selected from a 55
lowalkyl-Z-pyrrolidone.
12. The membrane of claim 1 wherein said micropo rous polymeric support is selected from nylon 66, asym metric cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose, cross~
phosphorous and sulfur, said solvents having a 60 13. The membrane of claim 1 wherein said solvent swollen polymer is selected from polyvinylpyrrolidone boiling point of at least 100 C. and a solubility and polyurethane and said solvent is selected from N parameter of from about 7.5 to about 13.5 (cal/cm3
atm).
2. The membrane of claim 1 wherein the solvent is
selected from alcohols, amines, amides, carbamates, carbonates, esters, ethers, lactams, lactones, morpho
65
N-cyclohexyl-2-pyrr0lidone.
13
4,737,166
14
swollen polymer is crosslinked by a crosslinking agent selected from peroxides, diazos, vinyls, acid halides, and
membrane has been swollen. 25. The method of claim 24 wherein said saturating solvent is recovered from either or both of said perme ate stream and said residue stream and is recycled to
either or both of said feed stream and said sweep stream.
isocyanates.
16. The membrane of claim 15 wherein crosslinking
of said crosslinked solvent-swollen polymer is accom plished by the use of a crosslinking agent selected from
26. The method of claim 25 wherein said recovery is by condensation of solvent vapor in said permeate and
residue streams.
ethylenedimethacrylate,
diamide,
tetraethyleneglycoldimetha
N-N
27. The method of claim 26 wherein said condensa tion is accomplished by means of a heat exchanger.
28. A method for the separation of hydrogen sul?de gas from carbon dioxide gas'comprising splitting a feed
stream comprising both of said gases with the mem brane of claim 1, 7, 8, 11, 13, 14 or 15 into a hydrogen
sul?de-rich permeate stream and a carbon dioxide-rich residue stream.
29. The method of claim 28 wherein the partial pres sures of hydrogen sul?de and carbon dioxide on the 20 permeate stream side of said membrane are less than the
partial pressures of such gases on the feed stream side of said membrane.
stream comprising all of said gases with the membrane a sweep gas stream on the permeate side of said mem _ of claim 1, 7, 8, 11, 13, 14 or 15 into a permeate stream 25 brane. on one side of said membrane rich in hydrogen sul?de 31. The method of claim 30 wherein said sweep gas and carbon dioxide and a residue stream on the other comprises air. stream side of said membrane rich in the remainder of 32. The method of claim 30 wherein said sweep gas said gases.~ comprises an inert gas. 19. The method of claim 18 wherein the partial pres 33. The method of claim 32 wherein said inert gas sures of hydrogen sul?de and carbon dioxide on the comprises nitrogen. permeate stream side of said membrane are less than the 34. The method of claim 30, additionally comprising partial pressures of such gases on the feed stream side of saturating either or both of said feed stream and said said membrane. sweep stream with the same solvent with which said 20. The method of claim 18, additionally comprising 35 membrane has been swollen.
a sweep gas stream on the permeate side of said mem
comprises air.
22. The method of claim 20 wherein said sweep gas stream comprises an inert gas.
comprises nitrogen.
24. The method of claim 18, additionally comprising
saturating either or both of said feed stream and said 45
37. The method of claim 36 wherein said condensa tion is accomplished by means of a heat exchanger.
* ?ll * * *
55
65
CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION
PATENT ND.
DATED
1
I
4,737,166
April 12, 1988
INVENTOMS):
It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent is hereby corrected asshown below:
C01. 1, line 56
Col. 6, line 9
Col. 6, line 18
Col. 7, line 47
AIIESting O?icer