Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Membranes for Air Venting and Retaining VOCs in Gasoline Storage Tanks
EPA Contract Number: 68D02014Title: Membranes for Air Venting and Retaining VOCs in Gasoline Storage Tanks
Investigators: Nemser, Stuart
Small Business: Compact Membrane Systems Inc.
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: April 1, 2002 through September 1, 2002
Project Amount: $70,000
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (2002) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: SBIR - Pollution Prevention , Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
Description:
As part of this Phase I research project, Compact Membrane Systems, Inc. (CMS), developed a technology to reduce volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from underground gasoline storage tanks. Existing CMS membranes demonstrate good separation capability-they reduced VOC emissions from an underground storage tank from 30-60 percent to 3-6 percent. The goal of this project was to reduce these emissions further, to the VOC level of 1 percent, consistent with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations. The focus of this study was the introduction of various additives to the CMS membrane to directly modify the separation capability, or in a hybrid manner, oxidize the small portion of hydrocarbons that subsequently permeate through the membrane.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
The findings are summarized as follows:
· Additives could be introduced into the membrane structure with a volatile precursor and subsequently expose the membrane to a reactant. The net result would be to convert the volatile precursor to a nonvolatile form.
· The effect of molecular-level additives on performance was modest. There was no significant change in the effect of plasticization, and no significant change in the selectivity.
· A hybrid process that included a photocatalytic agent on the downstream
side of the membrane surface was developed. The concept was that the membrane
would provide an inherent level of separation, and subsequently, the small residual
hydrocarbon permeating would be photocatalytically oxidized.
· A commercial photocatalyst was introduced in the membrane. The membrane
reduced VOC concentration by 90 percent when various VOCs (e.g., butane, heptane,
propylene) were exposed to the photocatalyst surface and an appropriate light
source.
Conclusions:
The product concept from this Phase I research project is the introduction of photocatalyst sites on the downstream surface of the membrane. These photocatalytic sites will oxidize a large portion of the VOCs that go through the membrane. Combining photocatalytic oxidation with membrane permeation, VOC emissions can be reduced by 95-98 percent. This clearly meets and exceeds project goals as well as the goals established by EPA.
Supplemental Keywords:
membranes, air pollution, emissions, volatile organic compound, VOC, gasoline storage tanks, hydrocarbons, plasticization, butane, heptane, propylene, SBIR, RFA, Scientific Discipline, Air, Toxics, Sustainable Industry/Business, Chemical Engineering, air toxics, cleaner production/pollution prevention, Environmental Chemistry, Sustainable Environment, VOCs, Technology for Sustainable Environment, Civil Engineering, Engineering, Chemistry, & Physics, Environmental Engineering, gaseous effluent streams, membrane technology , gas streams, VOC removal, underground storage tanks, gasoline storage tanks, fugitive emissions, treatment, reverse membrane system, VOC recovery, VOC emission controls, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)SBIR Phase II:
Membranes for Air Venting and Retaining VOCs in Gasoline Storage Tanks | 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.