Grantee Research Project Results
Novel Ceramic-Organic Vapor Permeation Membranes for VOC Removal
EPA Contract Number: 68D50118Title: Novel Ceramic-Organic Vapor Permeation Membranes for VOC Removal
Investigators: Higgins, Richard J.
Small Business: CeraMem Corporation
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: II
Project Period: September 1, 1995 through April 1, 1998
Project Amount: $220,000
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase II (1995) Recipients Lists
Research Category: SBIR - Air Pollution , Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) , Air Quality and Air Toxics
Description:
Vapor permeation with highly permeable and organic-selective membranes is becoming an increasingly popular technique for preventing VOC emissions that are generated by a variety of stationary sources, including solvent and surface coating operations, gasoline storage operations, and printing operations. A limitation of current vapor permeation (VP) processes is the upper temperature limit for polymeric VP membranes, about 100-125 degrees C. In most cases, this results in the need to employ cooling for compressed air feed and may also result in greater membrane areas than would be required for higher temperature operation. Wider application of the technology would be possible if inexpensive VP modules operable at appreciably higher temperatures were available.This proposal addresses development of such devices by use of low-cost, highly compact ceramic ultrafiltration modules as VP membrane supports in combination with a novel approach to VP membrane chemistry. In the Phase I program, highly selective, defect-free vapor permeation membranes, based on silicone chemistries, were applied to the ceramic supports and demonstrated to be stable during vapor permeation at 250 degrees C for over sixty hours. In proposed Phase II work, the permeability properties of the membranes would be optimized and membrane application would be scaled up to industrial-scale modules incorporating 11 m2 membrane area.
Supplemental Keywords:
small business, SBIR, air emissions, engineering, chemistry., Scientific Discipline, Air, Toxics, air toxics, Environmental Chemistry, VOCs, Chemistry, Civil/Environmental Engineering, Chemistry and Materials Science, Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Engineering, Chemistry, & Physics, ambient air quality, emission control strategies, stationary sources, air pollutants, emission control technologies, membrane technology , VOC removal, silicon chemistries, air pollution, ambient emissions, organic vapor permeation membranes, atmospheric dispersion, ceramic membranes, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), emissions contol engineering, membrane technologyProgress and Final Reports:
SBIR Phase I:
Novel Ceramic-Organic Vapor Permeation Membranes for VOC RemovalThe 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.