Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: A Novel, Nanostructured, Metal-organic Frameworks-Based Product Loss Prevention Technology in the Oil and Natural Gas Sector
EPA Contract Number: 68HERC20C0007Title: A Novel, Nanostructured, Metal-organic Frameworks-Based Product Loss Prevention Technology in the Oil and Natural Gas Sector
Investigators: Ozdemir, Osman K
Small Business: Framergy, Inc
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: II
Project Period: November 1, 2019 through October 31, 2021 (Extended to October 31, 2022)
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase II (2019) Recipients Lists
Research Category: SBIR - Nanomaterials and Clean Technology , Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) , Harmful Algal Blooms
Description:
To reach the end user, oil and gas production at the wellhead must be transmitted through the country and distributed to a wide range of customers. This logistical system requires natural gas gathering lines, processing facilities, product storage tanks, and lots of other equipment. What results is air pollution caused by industry losses during these operations and the use of continuous or intermittent venting/flaring to mitigate other issues. One of the main components of this pollution is Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), with the increasing popularity of unconventional oil and natural gas production in the US, controls on VOC release have become increasingly important to maintain current health and safety standards.
In the Phase I activity, framergy, in collaboration with Texas A&M University, showed the feasibility of a combined methane and VOC capture technology that can be used at well sites, natural gas gathering and processing facilities, storage tanks/ sites, and transmission facilities to reduce pollution. The Phase I results have shown that this technology is capable of separating, storing, and recycling natural gas and VOCs. This innovation is a combination of VOC-philicsolvents and novel Metal-organic Frameworks (MOFs) adsorbents targeted to capture a wide range of volatile products and light hydrocarbons before they are vented into the atmosphere.
This technology is suitable as both a portable temporary or as a permanent installation, allowing for utilization on a wide range of Oil and Gas Sector facilities such as: storage tank relief vents, process equipment vents such as glycol dehydrators, amine recovery systems, oil/condensate/water truck loading activities, de-inventory: and blowdown of towers/drums and other production equipment, vent controls for compressor seal leaks or by-pass events, as well as pipeline pigging operations where products are either free vented to the atmosphere, combusted using flares and other destruction devices which typically do not operate at designed efficiencies or VRU units which typically have significant operational downtime.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
The technology is a solid adsorbent (MOFs) with long life cycles targeted to capture a wide range of volatile products before it is vented into the atmosphere under harsh conditions including acid gases and high humidity levels. The purpose of this research was to optimize the cost of MOFs and develop a commercial product that can be utilized in a wide range of Oil and Gas Sector facilities for VOC emission control.
Over the course of the Phase II period, framergy evaluated different variations of MOFs for VOCs capture that are of immediate interest to the oil and natural gas sector. A novel version of MOFs in the MOF industry is an amorphous MOF that defies the typical crystal structure of a MOF. An amorphous MOF is synthesized by growing amorphous MOF clusters in porous commercial substrates such as silica gel. framergy optimized the synthesis of amorphous AYRSORBTM F250, a MOF based on PCN-250, with increase in surface area and microporosity. This sorbent inherited the microporosity of AYRSORBTM F250 and improved the performance of silica gel at a low cost.
framergy, in collaboration with its industry Partner, selected naphtha emissions in petroleum refineries as its focus for this study. The Petroleum Refineries Sector consists of facilities that produce gasoline, gasoline blending stocks, naphtha, kerosene, distillate fuel oils, residual fuel oils, lubricants, or asphalt (bitumen) by the distillation of petroleum or the re-distillation, cracking, or reforming of unfinished petroleum derivatives. Petroleum refineries emit VOCs from various processes, including but not limited to, venting, flares, and fugitive leaks from equipment (e.g., valves, flanges, pumps). framergy's commercialization partner Vapor Point provides numerous services for refineries in Texas and Louisiana, where the majority of the US refineries are located. In collaboration with Vapor Point, framergy developed a mixed VOC testing plan to evaluate the fugitives capture efficiency associated with light naphtha production. Naphtha or also known as light naphtha, sweet virgin naphtha (SVN), full range cracked/reformed naphtha, has serious health implications upon exposure. These include effects to specific organs, such as the liver, kidneys, blood, nervous system, and skin. Naphtha contains benzene, which can cause blood disease, including anemia and leukemia.
At bench scale, a cyclic evaluation of AYRSORBTM F250 and amorphous F250 was conducted against light naphtha in dry and humid conditions. The sorbents were evaluated in packed bed columns and the VOC vapors were generated through a column with light naphtha. Both sorbents successfully demonstrated complete capture of VOCs in dry and humid conditions. The samples collected and analyzed via a gas chromatograph (GC-FID) didn't detect any hydrocarbon eluting from the sorbent column. In addition, AYROSRBTM F100, based on MIL-100, was evaluated against VOCs in dry and humid conditions. Similar to the other two sorbents, AYROSRBTM 100 completely captured VOCs in dry and humid conditions. The sorbents were analyzed via BET surface area and pXRD. Both AYRSORB MOFs retained their crystallinity and their VOC uptake remained intact.
To ease the material handling burdens associated with micron-scale powders, framergy has evaluated different powder shaping options and was able to determine the optimum technique to create beads. Direct press, roller compaction, and spherical granulation process were evaluated, and it was concluded that the optimum process was the spherical granulation process with a binder. AYROSRBTM F250 and F100 were successfully shaped with an organic and an inorganic binder. Both shaped materials had a minimum loss of surface area and, like powders, demonstrated complete capture of VOCs (light naphtha) at bench-scale testing.
framergy had the opportunity to evaluate AYROSRBTM F250 at a pilot scale for VOC emissions capture at a natural gas artificial lift station. In collaboration with mid-stream operator Sue-Ann Operating, framergy mobilized its pilot scale 20-Liter adsorption columns at the Sue-Ann Compressor Station in Beeville, TX. Here, AYROSRBTM F250 was utilized to purify methane to 100% from a natural gas stream. Furthermore, ethane, propane, and iso-butane were accumulated in the sorbent column. This demonstrates the ability of AYROSRBTM F250 to purify and control VOC emissions.
Figure 1. Photograph of the design and successful deployment of framergy's technology.
Conclusions:
These research findings show that AYROSRB MOFs can be utilized for the complete capture of VOCs in harsh conditions such as acid gas and high humidity levels. Additionally, framergy demonstrated the feasibility of using AYROSRBTM F250 at the pilot scale for VOC emission control in oil and gas operations.
This technology is ready to be utilized at scale in the Oil and Natural Gas Sector for VOC emission capture and control. Additionally, framergy started the process of EPA TSCA for the regulations of MOFs and has engaged with top Oil and Gas national and international companies for VOC control solutions with metal organic frameworks.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 1 publications for this projectSBIR Phase I:
A Novel, Nanostructured, Metal-organic Frameworks-Based Product Loss Prevention Technology in the Oil and Natural Gas Sector | Final ReportThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.