Assessment of the potential for refinery applications of inorganic membrane technology: An identification and screening analysis. Final report

Abstract

Commercial application of membrane technology in the separation of gas, liquid, and solid streams has grown to a business with worldwide revenues exceeding $1 billion annually. Use of organic membranes for industrial gas separation, particularly in the refining industry, is one of the major growth areas. However, organic membranes based on polymeric separation barriers, are susceptible to damage by liquids, and careful precautions must be taken to retain the system integrity. Researchers are currently developing small pore sized inorganic membranes which may substantially increase the efficiency and economics in selected refinery separation applications. Expected advantages of these advanced inorganic membranes include high permeability, high selectivity, and low manufacturing cost. SFA Pacific conducted a screening analysis to identify applications for inorganic membrane technology in the petroleum refining industry and their potential cost advantages over competing separation systems. Two meetings were held in connection with this project. Copies of Viewgraphs presented by SFA Pacific at these meetings are attached in Appendices A and C. Potential high priority applications and market impacts of advanced inorganic membrane technology in the refining industry are addressed in this report, and include the following areas: Competitive separation technologies; application of those technologies; incentives for inorganic membranes; market benefits and impacts of inorganic membranes.