Study on the Separation of H2 from CO2 Using a ZIF-8 Membrane by Molecular Simulation and Maxwell-Stefan Model

The purification of H2-rich streams using membranes represents an important separation process, particularly important in the viewpoint of pre-combustion CO2 capture. In this study, the separation of H2 from a mixture containing H2 and CO2 using a zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF)-8 membrane is proposed from a theoretical point of view. For this purpose, the adsorption and diffusion coefficients of H2 and CO2 were considered by molecular simulation. The adsorption of these gases followed the Langmuir model, and the diffusion coefficient of H2 was much higher than that of CO2. Then, using the Maxwell–Stefan model, the H2 and CO2 permeances and H2/CO2 permselectivities in the H2–CO2 mixtures were evaluated. Despite the fact that adsorption of CO2 was higher than H2, owing to the simultaneous interference of adsorption and diffusion processes in the membrane, H2 permeation was more pronounced than CO2. The modeling results showed that, for a ZIF-8 membrane, the H2/CO2 permselectivity for the H2–CO2 binary mixture 80/20 ranges between 28 and 32 at ambient temperature

A Molecular Simulation of Natural Gas Dehydration by 3A Zeolite Nanostructure

The adsorption and separation properties of 3A zeolite are investigated by using Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulation. To obtain the adsorption isotherms of water, methyl mercaptan, and methane on 3A zeolite, COMPASS Force Filed is used. The adsorption isotherms of the pure components and the ternary mixtures of water, methyl mercaptan, and methane on 3A zeolites are calculated. The Sips Model is taken into account for the description of water adsorption on 3A zeolite. In addition, the effects of pressure and temperature on the adsorption of components are examined. The results demonstrate that the water has high adsorption selectivity on 3A zeolite, and this kind of adsorbent is a good candidate for the dehydration of natural gas

Kinetics and thermodynamic studies of asphaltene adsorption onto Zeolite ZSM-5 nanoparticles

Asphaltene is one of the compounds in crude oil with the heaviest fraction, which causes it to settle and deposit on reservoir or extraction pipes. Various methods have been proposed for its severance or removal so far, as the adsorption of asphaltene using nanoparticles is one of the most efficient ones. The effects of parameters such as asphaltene concentration, temperature and the amount of adsorbent loaded (ZSM-5 zeolite) were investigated in order to optimize the adsorption process of asphaltenes. The physical and chemical properties of the adsorbents were also investigated by SEM, XRD and FTIR. SEM images showed that the ZSM-5 zeolite nanoparticles are highly efficient in adsorption of asphaltene and become agglomerated after adsorption. XRD and FT-IR analyzes also confirmed the presence of asphaltene in the ZSM-5 zeolite after the adsorption process. The equilibrium data were fitted with the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms to know the adsorption isotherm. The results showed that the adsorption behavior of asphaltene on ZSM-5 zeolite can be well described using Langmuir isotherm. The kinetic results showed that the asphaltenes were rapidly adsorbed to the zeolite in less than 2 hours. By comparing the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models, it can be concluded that the pseudo-second-order kinetic model well predicts the kinetic behavior of asphaltene adsorption on ZSM-5 zeolite nanoparticles

Chemical study of asphaltene inhibitors effects on asphaltene precipitation of an Iranian oil field

The amount of precipitated asphaltene can be considerably reduced with pretreatment of asphaltene inhibitor, in the crude oil. Efficiency of asphaltene inhibitors mainly depends on some parameters such as pH of the oil and the chemical structure of asphaltene inhibitors. In this paper, the amounts of asphaltene precipitation have been experimentally measured using two n-paraffin precipitants; n-heptane and n-hexane. The performance of the studies on the asphaltene accumulation was studied using Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy analysis. The onset point has been determined by three different commercial asphaltene inhibitors. The results show that when an asphaltene inhibitor is not injected into the mixture of synthetic oil/n-heptane, AOP (Asphaltene Onset Point) occurs at 35 vol.% of n-heptane, while with addition of 3000 ppm of asphaltene B inhibitor, AOP occurs at 60 vol.% of n-heptane

Hydroisomerization of n-Pentane over Pt/Mordenite Catalyst: Effect of Feed Composition and Process Conditions

The hydroisomerization of pure n-pentane over H-mordenite supported Pt-catalyst was investigated in a fixed bed reactor by changing reaction parameters such as temperature, pressure, and WHSV, as well as the H2/HC ratio. The maximum yield of isopentane over Pt/mordenite catalyst was achieved at 220 °C and a relatively low reaction pressure. To address the effect of feed composition on the catalytic performance of the samples, the catalysts were assessed for activity and selectivity in the isomerization of a mixture consisting of n-pentane (70 wt.%) and isopentane (30 wt.%) at 220 °C. The effects of pressure, WHSV, and H2/HC ratio on the catalyst performance were also studied using binary mixtures of the pentane isomers as a feedstock. It was observed that an effect of WHSV and H2/HC on the catalytic performance was similar to its behavior in pure n-pentane isomerization, while the conversion of n-pentane in the binary mixture showed a different trend and had a minimum value at 1.5 bar. It could be due to the presence of isopentane in feed and adsorption phenomenon of binary mixture on mordenite-supported catalyst

Application of NF Polymeric Membranes for Removal of Multicomponent Heat-Stable Salts (HSS) Ions from Methyl Diethanolamine (MDEA) Solutions

This study presents an efficient and scalable process for removing the heat-stable salts (HSS) ions from amine solution while recovering methyl diethanolamine (MDEA) solution for its reuse in gas sweetening plants. The presence of HSS in the amine solution causes the loss of solvent capacity, foaming, fouling, and corrosion in gas sweetening units so their removal is crucial for a more well-performing process. Furthermore, the recovery of the amine solution can make the sweetening step a more sustainable process. In this study, for the first time, the removal of a multicomponent mixture of HSS from MDEA solution was investigated via a nanofiltration process using flat-sheet NF-3 membranes. The impact of operating parameters on salts and amine rejection, and flux, including the operating pressure, HSS ions concentration, and MDEA concentration in the feed solution was investigated. Results based on the nanofiltration of an amine stream with the same composition (45 wt.% MDEA solution) as that circulating in a local gas refinery (Ilam Gas refinery), demonstrated a removal efficiency of HSS ions in the range from 75 to 80% and a MDEA rejection of 0% indicating the possibility of reusing this stream in the new step of gas sweetening

Application of NF Polymeric Membranes for Removal of Multicomponent Heat-Stable Salts (HSS) Ions from Methyl Diethanolamine (MDEA) Solutions

This study presents an e cient and scalable process for removing the heat-stable salts (HSS) ions from amine solution while recovering methyl diethanolamine (MDEA) solution for its reuse in gas sweetening plants. The presence of HSS in the amine solution causes the loss of solvent capacity, foaming, fouling, and corrosion in gas sweetening units so their removal is crucial for a more well-performing process. Furthermore, the recovery of the amine solution can make the sweetening step a more sustainable process. In this study, for the first time, the removal of a multicomponent mixture of HSS from MDEA solution was investigated via a nanofiltration process using flat-sheet NF-3 membranes. The impact of operating parameters on salts and amine rejection, and flux, including the operating pressure, HSS ions concentration, and MDEA concentration in the feed solution was investigated. Results based on the nanofiltration of an amine stream with the same composition (45 wt.% MDEA solution) as that circulating in a local gas refinery (Ilam Gas refinery), demonstrated a removal e ciency of HSS ions in the range from 75 to 80% and a MDEA rejection of 0% indicating the possibility of reusing this stream in the new step of gas sweetening