Dual-Function Membrane for Gas Purification
Official patent title
Multifunctional diselenide-based polyimide membrane for gas separation and purification
Arabic title: غشاء بوليميد متعدد الوظائف قائم على ثنائي السيلينيد لفصل الغازات وتنقيتها
Invention
Invention
Problem
Gas-separation membranes often face a trade-off between permeability and selectivity, while solvent, sorbent, or cryogenic processes may require substantial energy or system regeneration.
Why it matters
Efficient separation of gases such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen, nitrogen, and methane is relevant to industrial purification, emissions management, and product-quality control.
Approach
The disclosure synthesizes a polyimide from 4,4′-diselanediyldianiline and ethylenediaminetetraacetic dianhydride, casts it into a membrane, and uses the membrane to enrich a selected gas in the permeate while optionally adsorbing another gas.
Who may benefit
Potential beneficiaries include industrial-gas processors, natural-gas and hydrogen researchers, emissions-control developers, and membrane-material manufacturers.
Potential value
The technology provides a defined diselenide-containing polyimide chemistry, a cast-membrane fabrication route, and combined permeation and adsorption functions within one membrane concept.
Background
Background
Industrial gas separation removes impurities and recovers useful components, but conventional solvent and adsorbent processes can require regeneration and high energy. Cryogenic distillation is also energy intensive and is most suitable for particular feed compositions. Polymer membranes offer simpler, lower-energy operation, yet practical materials must balance gas permeability with selectivity and resist thermal or chemical degradation. The publication addresses this materials challenge with a diselenide-containing polyimide designed for membrane casting and contact with multicomponent gas mixtures.
Technology overview
Technology overview
A diselenide diamine reacts with ethylenediaminetetraacetic dianhydride to form an alternating polyimide. The polymer is dissolved in a polar solvent, cast on a substrate, and progressively heated to form the membrane. In the claimed separation method, a gas mixture contacts the membrane and at least one component permeates to create an enriched permeate stream; adsorption can provide an additional separation interaction.
Potential applications
Potential applications
- Separation of carbon dioxide or hydrogen sulfide from mixed industrial gas streams after performance validation.
- Purification studies involving hydrogen, nitrogen, methane, or carbon monoxide mixtures.
- Membrane-based gas recovery research where permeation and adsorption may be combined.
- Development of cast polyimide films for industrial separation modules.
Evidence-supported advantages
Evidence-supported advantages
- The membrane concept combines selective permeation with an optional adsorption mechanism.
- Polyimide chemistry provides the thermal and chemical stability context described for this membrane class.
- The publication supplies a defined polymer-synthesis and staged membrane-casting procedure.
- The claimed method addresses mixtures containing several industrially relevant gases.
Development stage
Development stage
Laboratory synthesis of the polyimide and casting of a membrane are documented; gas-separation performance and commercialization were not established.
Commercial opportunity
Commercial opportunity
The membrane could be evaluated with industrial-gas, carbon-management, and membrane-module partners. Licensing readiness depends on measured permeability, selectivity, mixed-gas durability, chemical resistance, membrane thickness, module integration, and comparison with incumbent separation materials. Manufacturing yield and cost must also be established at scale.
Patent classifications
Patent classifications
WIPO IPC
- B01D71/64Separation
- B01D53/22Separation
CPC
- B01D53/228Separation
- B01D67/0011Separation
- B01D67/0013Separation
- B01D71/64Separation
- C08G73/1057Macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions involving only carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
- C08G73/1078Macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions involving only carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
- C08G73/1085Macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions involving only carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
- C08J5/18Working-up; general compounding processes; after-treatment of macromolecular compounds
- B01D2053/221Separation
- B01D2323/081Separation
- C08J2379/08Working-up; general compounding processes; after-treatment of macromolecular compounds
Inventors
Inventors
- First inventorTarek Ahmed Yousef
- InventorSaad Shaaban
Keywords
Keywords
- polyimide membrane
- diselenide
- gas separation
- gas purification
- permeation
- adsorption
- carbon dioxide
- hydrogen sulfide
Patent document and drawings
Patent document and drawings
The patent publication is mapped to this record. Patent drawings remain within that publication; no separately cleared public media package has been supplied.