RAPID Funded Projects

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Microwave Catalysis for Process Intensified Modular Production of Value-Added Chemicals from Natural Gas

The rise in US natural gas supplied, tied to challenges/costs associated with natural gas logistics, point to the value of converting natural gas to liquid products. Indirect routes are generally energy inefficient and capital intensive. In contrast, direct non-oxidative natural gas conversion eliminates the syngas production step and required oxygen generation. However, these technologies have not been commercialized because of technical challenges such as low selectivity, coking, heat management, catalyst deactivation and catalyst regeneration.

Investigators

John Hu
Professor, Engineering

Partner Organizations

West Virginia University University of Pittsburgh Shell National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL)

Focus Areas

Date approved

November 01, 2017
Current TRL
5

Energy Efficient Separations of Olefins and Paraffins through a membrane

Throughout the petrochemical and refining industry, the separation of olefins and paraffins is generally performed via distillation, a costly and capital intensive method, particularly for light olefins. This project uses a silver-incorporated custom amorphous fluoropolymer membrane to separate olefins and paraffins. Compared to previous attempts using facilitated transport membranes, this membrane has been shown to have very good longevity in laboratory settings and has been tested with reasonably-expected process poisons.

Investigators

Hannah Murnen
Chief Technology Officer

Partner Organizations

Compact Membrane Systems American Chemical Society (ACS)

Focus Areas

Date approved

November 01, 2017
Current TRL
4

Advanced Nanocomposite Membrane for Natural Gas Purification

Processing natural gas is the largest industrial application of gas separation membranes. Membranes occupy 10% of the ~$5 billion worldwide annual market for new natural gas separation equipment, with amine absorption accounting for most of the rest. While widely used, amine systems suffer from corrosion, complex process design, and equipment often unsuitable for offshore gas processing platforms. Amine systems are also less efficient than membranes at high CO2 concentrations.

Investigators

Benny Freeman
William J. (Bill) Murray, Jr. Endowed Chair of Engineering

Partner Organizations

University of Texas at Austin

Focus Areas

Date approved

November 01, 2017
Current TRL
4

Efficient Chemicals Production via Chemical Looping

This project will develop chemical looping technology (CLT) into a general process intensification (PI) strategy for modular upgrading of natural gas to commodity chemicals. Nonoxidative upgrading of methane, ethane and propane to alkenes and aromatics is often limited by equilbrium. CLT is an effective PI strategy to circumvent such limitations by either reactive separation or selective oxidation of a subset of products from the reaction mixture to restore the thermodynamic driving force.

Investigators

Raul Lobo

Partner Organizations

University of Delaware Dow

Focus Areas

Date approved

November 01, 2017
Current TRL
3

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