Prospectus

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OR-17 Demonstrate Synergistic Use of Membranes and Distillation to Optimize Energy Efficient Recovery of Process Solvents Expected Benefit to Members: When the subject of membranes as a potential replacement for fractionation comes up, it is frequently laughed out of the room by fractionation experts. To some extent this is warranted, because of concerns about the ability of membranes to drive to high purities, and their robustness. However, this way of looking at membranes fails to consider that in systems where water is present, it is not necessarily required that solvent concentrations be driven up to levels that impair membrane function in order to reap substantial energy savings by not having to boil up large amounts of water. If FRI can demonstrate the usefulness of hybrid processes that take advantage of the best features of both membranes and distillation, our members may be able to substantially reduce energy usage and/or increase throughput through existing facilities and reduce size of any new ones. A finding of this sort may also add extra credibility to any proposals FRI might make to governments, NGOs, etc. for funding. Demonstrating that we’re not just advocates of fractionation, but rather advocates of following the data and doing the right thing regardless of where the data leads us. This could open up funding sources for new facilities which might dramatically increase the value of FRI membership. Present Situation and Proposed Research: There is a category of widely used organic solvents called lactams that contain a cyclic amide structure, typically consisting of a carbonyl group (C=O) that is connected to a nitrogen atom in a ring structure. Some common lactams, in addition to NMP and DMAC, include epsilon caprolactam, pyrrolidone, and valerolactam. Lactams have a wide range of applications, including as solvents, intermediates in chemical synthesis, and as raw materials in the production of polymers and resins. They are favored for their polarity and solvency strength, enabling them to dissolve a variety of substances. However, they can be toxic and difficult to dispose of, so proper handling and disposal is important when using these solvents. Often these are used in processes where water is also present. At least for NMP an DMAC, vapor liquid equilibria are such that separation from water is relatively easy. Unfortunately, when the solvent concentration is dilute, it’s also very energy intensive, to such an extent that historically these waste streams were sometimes just disposed of. Stronger environmental regulations across the globe, and increasing solvent costs, are rendering this an unacceptable alternative. Developmental Research Idea

PROSPECTUS

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