(341b) Engineering Low-Energy-Intensive Large-Scale Gas Separations

Large-scale separation and purification processes transform low value resources into valuable commodities; however, they also tend to consume a great deal of energy. Growing demand and the desire for higher worldwide standards of living are intensifying needs for improved separation approaches to minimize process CO₂ footprints and energy use. Advanced membrane and sorbent approaches can meet these needs through combined advanced materials, device formation and process engineering. While already used for water purification, more efficient approaches cannot yet be used widely, due to the lack of a full spectrum of advanced materials suitable for use with non-aqueous feeds. Recent developments in membrane and sorbent materials now appear likely to extend the low energy intensity separation revolution beyond water to include the full spectrum of large-scale feeds. Crosslinked glassy polymers, polymer-selective nanoparticle hybrids and carbon molecular sieve (CMS) materials cover different areas in this new separation landscape. This presentation will consider examples of these new materials, devices based on them, as well as their manufacturing and the savings they enable in advanced gas separations.