Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Novel Membranes for Natural Gas Dehydration
EPA Contract Number: EPD11043Title: Novel Membranes for Natural Gas Dehydration
Investigators: Lin, Haiqing
Small Business: Membrane Technology and Research Inc.
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: March 1, 2011 through August 31, 2011
Project Amount: $80,000
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (2011) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) , SBIR - Innovation in Manufacturing
Description:
Before entering the national pipeline distribution system, all natural gas must be dried, which currently is achieved using glycol dehydrators. However, the glycol dehydrators extract hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the raw natural gas streams. In the U.S. alone, the VOC emissions from dehydrators total an estimated 44,000 tons per year, one-half of which is benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX). Controlling the emissions of these organic pollutants to meet clean air regulations imposed by the U.S. EPA is becoming one of the largest environmental challenges facing the natural gas industry today. The goal of this project is to develop a simple and low-cost membrane process for natural gas dehydration with essentially zero VOC emissions.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
Conclusions:
The 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.